Matt Monro Forum

"The Real Neil" is a collection of new songs with a few Sedaka classics. “The most challenging task for a songwriter is to write a simple tune but still bring an emotional feeling to it", says Neil. " After 60 years of writing, I am very proud of these new songs. This is my first acoustic album. Piano and voice, the pure form of the song, just the way I write them. The songs are very personal and come from my soul. It’s the culmination of all the years of writing. No frills. No production gimmicks."

The album closes with classically trained Neil’s first piano concerto ‘Manhattan Intermezzo’, recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Air Studios in London. “At the suggestion of my co-producer Robert Cotto, I am very excited about the inclusion of the final track, my first piano concerto “Manhattan Intermezzo”. As a lifelong New Yorker, I wanted the audience to feel the spirit of the city, exploring its melting pot of nationalities. I tried to incorporate the sounds of the city where I was born; Latin, Asian, Russian, Broadway and the New York of today and yesterday. Having studied at the Juilliard School, I was exposed and inspired by many different composers. I wanted to write something that was clearly American, in style and feel, but still keeping it distinctively Neil Sedaka. Writing pop songs is one thing. But, composing a serious piece gave me much more creative freedom. This is the result of all the music I’ve studied and played. I am very proud of this work.”