Neumann was born in
Oslo, and started playing the flute at an early age, before picking up the clarinet, playing with different
swing bands in the late 1950s. After taking hire as sailor for a few years, he returned to Oslo buying his first saxophone in 1963. Neumann received the audience award with the Quartet of Oddvar Paulsen at the Norwegian Championship in amateur jazz the same year, and from then on he became professional musician. He played rhythm & blues with Arild Wikstrom and
Public Enemies in the mid 1960s (releasing a single album with
Karin Krog / Public Enemies ''Sunny / We're gonna move to the outskirts of town'' in 1966) and was ranked No. 1 Alto saxophonist in the Norwegian magazin Jazznytt's favorite poll in 1967. Neumann played in the bands of
Espen Rud, like "Kråbøl", and toured with the traditional Norwegian folk musicians
Nils Økland and
Bjørnar Andresen in 1985. After 13 years of musical silence, he became the lead figure of "The Quintet", with the debut of the jazz club "Blå" in 1998, followed by festival engagements at
Vossajazz and
Moldejazz in 1999 and in Oslo 2000. The concert at Voss 1999 immortalized on cd, and he received Oslo City Art Award in 2000. From 2000, he has lived a quieter life in
Risør, but has collaborated on the albums
Lost Animals (2009) with
Vidar Johansen Quartet and
To someone I knew (2013) by
Erik Wesseltoft. == Honors ==