What defines a legend? In musical communities such as jazz, it often points to once-in-a-generation virtuosos, groundbreaking composers, prolific bandleaders. People who move the needle through a combination of their artistry and their place and time in history. Then, there are those that are beloved in their communities, whom the public may be slower to acknowledge or bestow the title of “legend”. In millennial terms: only those who know, know. Johnny O’Neal certainly stands as such a figure. There is no questioning his virtuosity—when you watch him perform, it’s like he embodies jazz completely. He doesn’t swing, he is swing. Largely a self-taught musician, O’Neal’s talent wasn't born out of school. He did all his studying “on the job” training, so to speak, actively performing in clubs when he was younger and being picked up by the likes of Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey. Now, 50 years later, O’Neal carries on this tradition of identifying and nurturing young talen...