The November 2022 Jazz Unlimited of Greater Milwaukee newsletter features Joel Lehman, founder of the GIL Jazz Combo and with whom Hammond organist Dan Schneck is a regular performer.
If you ever go to see the GIL Jazz Combo (and why wouldn’t you?), don’t look in your program for a member of the band named Gil. “GIL stands for the Genius of Jazz Music, the Improvisation of the players, and the Love we have for making music and connecting with the audience,” founder Joel Lehman explains.
The original group consisted of trumpeter (and Monette flumpeter) Lehman, the late Neal Chandek, Joe Conti, and Mike Standal.
Dan talks about how he connected with Joel and his GIL Jazz Combo. He remarked, “I had the privilege of knowing and learning from Neal Chandek, the original piano player in Joel’s group, an amazing musical mind, and one of Milwaukee’s most beloved Milwaukee jazz community members.”
“Neal and I connected at a deep level. He had an immense amount of knowledge, and was excited to share it,” Dan said. “I’ll never forget sitting with him for hours at Transfer Pizzeria after his gigs and talking about how we both played and thought about basslines, harmonies, and foundations of jazz music. I loved hearing him talk about the history of the jazz organ in Milwaukee and his days hanging with Melvin Rhyne at Brother’s Lounge (later the Jazz Oasis), The Main Event, the Red Mill East, and jazz lounges in the downtown hotels. I miss his presence and am honored to have the opportunity to continue his legacy of sharing the love for this music with the audience of the GIL Jazz Combo.”
By bringing together top talent, creative musical minds, and focusing on the connection with his audience, Joel Lehman’s GIL Jazz Combo has a bright future ahead.