Al Neil

Al Neil is a Vancouver artist, composer, pianist, and writer whose activities have spanned six decades. He became a central figure in the Vancouver jazz scene in the 1950s and during the l960s became known for solo and ensemble performances which combined music with texts, art assemblages, slides, and prepared tapes. His collage works have been exhibited extensively and are in museum collections. His books include Changes (1989), West Coast Lokas (1972), Slammer (1981), and the exhibition catalogue Origins (1989). He has toured and exhibited internationally, and lives in Dollarton, Vancouver. In 2003, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Emily Carr Institute. “Laughter on 3rd Street” was published in Slammer in 1981 by Pulp Press and is reprinted here with their permission.