Neil Speers

Whether your event calls for smooth instrumental jazz (perfect for cocktail hours and classy receptions) or vocal jazz and blues (ideal for dinner sets and featured performances), I've got you covered. Need background music that creates atmosphere? A captivating featured set? Or something that starts sophisticated and builds to a bluesy climax? Consider it done.

Sets typically run 45-90 minutes, with flexibility to read the room and adjust as needed. Gear-wise, I can travel light with my guitar and PA system as needed - whatever makes your event run smoothly.

A few of the artists I cover include:
Nat King Cole
Louis Armstrong
Miles Davis
Ray Charles
Willie Nelson
BB King
James Hunter
Little Willie John
The Band
Chris Stapleton

Hey there! I’m Neil D Speers—a jazz guitarist with blues in my bones and a head full of chord changes. My story starts with my mother, a true jazz devotee who, back in the 1950s, used to sneak out to a Calgary jazz club that started at midnight (because of course it did). She raised me on the sounds of John Coltrane’s hypnotic sax, the Modern Jazz Quartet’s cool elegance, and Dave Brubeck’s impossible time signatures—basically ensuring I’d never be satisfied with just three chords.

But then the blues hit me—Stevie Ray’s fiery licks, Albert King’s bent-note soul, Howlin’ Wolf’s primal growl—and suddenly, all that jazz sophistication had a gritty counterpoint. These days, my playing lives where bebop meets the Delta: intricate harmonies with a side of raw emotion, and solos that might start with a Wes Montgomery octave run but end with a BB King-style cry.

I’ve spent 50 ish years chasing this sound—on stage, in studios, and in collaborations—always searching for that balance between brainy and visceral. Offstage, I’m a tone obsessive, forever tweaking amps and arguing with myself over whether that last take was too polished. (Spoiler: It probably was.)

At the end of the day, I just love the conversation—between genres, between musicians, between the notes themselves. So let’s talk. Grab a drink, put on a record, and let’s see where the next chorus takes us.

I can provide a portable PA or work with an in-house system.
My basic requirements when bringing a PA are enough outlets to power the equipment.
I also bring an effects pedal board and a computer for backing tracks and will need power near the front of the stage for that.
Otherwise a stool or armless chair, plus a small table for water etc are the only other requirements I have.
If you wish for a full band, we can discuss the requirements for that at the time of booking.