Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . On this episode, we talk with  Michigan-based jazz trumpeter and educator Anthony Stanco  about his new 2025 album  In the Groove  and a jazz life that began in  Detroit . A deeply swinging and soulful release,  In the Groove  is packed with  deep-pocket grooves  and the buoyant spirit of  hard bop , reflecting both tradition and modern...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . On this episode, we talk with  Miami-based jazz pianist Martin Bejerano  about  The Purple Project  and more, taking a deep dive into his 2025 release  The Purple Project: A Reimagining of the Work of Prince  and his vibrant life in live music. Martin has seen  Prince  many times in concert and was deeply influenced by the way Prince of...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . On this episode, we talk with  NYC-based jazz bassist and composer Jakob Dreyer  about his 2025 album  Roots and Things , a vibrant and forward-looking statement from one of modern jazz’s most versatile voices. German-born and deeply rooted in the New York jazz scene, Jakob assembled a formidable ensemble for this project, featuring  vi...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . On this episode, we sit down with  internationally renowned jazz drummer, percussionist, clinician, author, and educator Steve Houghton , joining him from his base in  Indiana  to talk about his new 2025 album  And Then Some  and a remarkable life dedicated to jazz. This new recording was a pure joy for Steve, bringing together longtime...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . On this episode, we sit down with  trumpeter Paul Litteral ,  label owner Angela O’Neill , and  producer Greg Curtis  to discuss the powerful 2025 album  The Literal Truth —a release shaped by resilience after their studio was destroyed during the  California wildfires . The Literal Truth  is a vibrant fusion of  jazz, funk, and rock ,...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . In this episode, we catch up with  Montreal-based jazz singer and composer Marie-Soleil Lambert  to talk about her 2025 release  Anastasia  and a life deeply devoted to music, growth, and creative exploration. Always evolving as both a  musician and composer , Marie-Soleil leads her sextet  Sun Fantasia , formed in 2022, as she continue...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . In this episode, we catch up with  European jazz saxophonist and composer Nikola Bankov , one of the  brightest new voices in contemporary European jazz , just before a live gig to talk about his 2025 release  Everwanted —his  third album as a leader  and a bold step forward in sound and vision. On  Everwanted , Bankov fuses  high-energ...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . In this episode, we sit down with  esteemed Bronx-based drummer, composer, and arranger Greg Burrows  to explore his powerful 2025 release,  Let’s Not Wait: The Music of Ed Bonoff , along with an eclectic and deeply personal journey through the jazz world. This album stands as  only the second recording ever dedicated exclusively  to th...

It’s a little over a week away before this year known as 2025 comes to a close. And as I collect a cachet of memories and thoughts from the year that is gone by .. I think about all of the good in the highlights and the magic that took place this year. There are three things that rise to the top of this year that is gone by & it includes a near improbable run that I started to get my childhood...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . In this episode, we sit down with  jazz trombonist and composer JC Sanford  to explore his 2025 release  Denki , recorded with his band  EQ (Electric Quartet) . This  eighth album as a leader  is a creative tour de force—electric, exploratory, and deeply personal. The title  Denki —Japanese for  “electricity” —pays tribute to Sanford’s...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . In this episode, we sit down with  award-winning New York–based jazz vocalist Celia Berk  for a deep dive into her ambitious 2025 recording project  Four Seasons of Song —a series of EPs inspired by  each of the four seasons , blending emotional nuance, storytelling, and timeless jazz elegance. Celia Berk is widely celebrated for her  d...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series  with  Paris-based jazz bassist, composer, and bandleader Thomas Julienne , leader of  Theorem of Joy . In this episode, we catch up with Thomas about the band’s  third album and 2025 release,  Feux , along with his life in music, the evolution of the group, and reflections on modern living. A musician driven by collaboration and curiosit...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . In this episode, we talk with  renowned jazz singer Jonathan Karrant  about his 2025 holiday release  Christmas Wish , a beautifully crafted jazz album that blends seasonal warmth with world-class musicianship. Christmas Wish  features  Grammy-winning jazz legend Diane Schuur , alongside an outstanding lineup including  Kenny Rampton, J...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series . In this episode, we sit down with  producer Suzanne Waldowski  and  singer/pianist Champian Fulton  to discuss the 2025 holiday jazz release  Swinging in the Holidays —a vibrant album that brings fresh energy to seasonal music through original arrangements and today’s finest jazz voices. Suzanne Waldowski’s journey into jazz is a unique...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series  with  Brooklyn-based composer, multi-instrumentalist, and visionary Abraham Gomez-Delgado . In this episode, we dive into his new  2025 album  ¡Ya Tú Sabes! U All Reddy Noe , recorded with NYC’s powerhouse  Latin X-Perimental band Zemog El Gallo Bueno . The group returns with their  long-awaited seventh album , capturing a tight-knit ban...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series  with  bassist Wolf Robert Stratmann  and  pianist/composer Sujae Jung , discussing their 2025 quartet album  Confluence . In this episode, we take a close look at this new recording featuring  Steve Cardenas on guitar  and  Marko on drums .  Confluence  was released on  December 3, 2025 , alongside a same-day release concert at  Ki Smith...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series  with  Pennsylvania-based jazz singer Corinne , discussing her 2025 concept album  Stories in Pink . In this episode, we take a deep dive into an album that slips listeners into a time machine set for  1962 Manhattan, Paris, and Rio , blending  deconstructed bossa nova ,  re-imagined jazz-pop , and  lyrical storytelling  into a sound that...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series  with celebrated  Montréal-based jazz pianist and composer Kate Wyatt . In this episode, we dive into  Kate Wyatt’s 2025 album  Murmurations  — a deeply interactive trio recording that highlights group empathy, musical dialogue, and spontaneous interplay. Joined by  Adrian Vedady (bass)  and  Louis-Vincent Hamel (drums) , the Kate Wyatt T...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz Interview Series  featuring  NYC-based Russian-Canadian jazz pianist Maria Kaushansky . In this episode, we dive into her  debut 2025 album,  Northbound to Finch , an instrumental jazz release made up entirely of original compositions and inspired by her life in  Toronto, Canada . The album takes its name from “Finch,” her former home subway station, and...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz  interview series featuring  internationally known master saxophonist and composer John O’Gallagher . On this episode, we take a deep dive into his powerful new  2025 CD  Ancestral  and an action-packed life in jazz defined by constant evolution and fearless exploration. The album features an extraordinary lineup with master drummers  Andrew Cyrille  and ...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz  interview series featuring  jazz vocalist, writer, and lyricist Stevie Holland . On this episode, we take a close look at her new  2025 CD  Talk to Your Tomatoes  and an extraordinary journey through the worlds of jazz, pop, theater, and the  American Songbook . The album is a beautifully curated collection of gems and classics, showcasing Stevie’s signa...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz  interview series featuring  internationally acclaimed guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer Tony Davis . On this episode, we dive into his new  2025 CD  Jessamine  and a life richly lived in the world of jazz. The album takes its name from the street where Tony grew up and stands as a symbolic musical homecoming—not simply a return to the past, but...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz  interview series featuring  jazz bassist and composer Mighty Joe Belson . From his base in  Berkeley, California , we dive into his new  2025 CD  Reinventing the Wheel , his musical beginnings in  New York City , and his late start in jazz. Along with his band  The Doodle Cats , Mighty Joe Belson taps into our collective sense of nostalgia, creating musi...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz  interview series featuring  acclaimed jazz pianist and vocalist Eric Byrd . On this episode, we dive into his new  2025 CD  Echoes of Arrival , his life in jazz, and the enduring legacy of  The Eric Byrd Trio (EBT) . For more than  25 years , the trio has brought the spirit of  swing, bebop, gospel, and the blues  to audiences around the world, earning w...

Welcome to a new edition of the  Neon Jazz interview series  with host Joe Dimino. On this episode, we speak with  Italy-based multi-disciplinary storyteller and creative force Lisa Marie Simmons  about her brand-new 2025 album  NoteSpeak (In a Word)  with longtime collaborator  Marco Cremaschini , released on  Ropeadope . This dynamic project marks the  final installment  in their widely acclaime...