Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran  Journeyman Saxophonist & Composer  Stan Harrison .. We caught up with him fresh of the road to talk about his new 2024 CD Some Poor Soul Has a Fire and a gloriously good and luck filled life in music. Born in Philadelphia, raised in New Jersey, and a resident of New York City for the last few decades, has traveled the globe p...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Brooklyn-based Jazz Guitarist and Composer  Nico Moreno .. We talked to this native of Columbia about his new 2024 CD Cornerstone, a life in jazz, coming to America and so much more. This new project captures his journey of finding meaning in NYC as it explores modern jazz guitar, blending Latin American sounds and pop-rock elements...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Jazz Tuba Player  Jim Self & Seasoned Guitarist John Chiodini  on the 2024 Album  Feels So Good .. Even through Jim recently retired from his teaching position at the University of Southern California after nearly 50 years, he has not slowed down at all. We caught up with him and Jon to talk about this 23rd album of Jim’s as...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Jazz Vocalist  Tania Grubbs .. She opened up about her new 2024 CD The Sound of Love, surviving the pandemic, her career and much more. On this new album, she crafts stories out of well-chosen songs with love and care as she lets the listener feel the spirit of her music. Her voice is an integral instrument in a quintet of eq...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Toronto-based Jazz Guitarist  Dan Pitt  on the 2024 album Horizontal Depths  .. We caught up with this busy musician to talk about his new Quintet release  that stands as a solid  follow-up to the band's 2021 album  Wrongs . This project weaves together elements of avant rock and chamber music into a foundations that spans various ex...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Pianist  Richard Pellegrin  on the 2024 Album Topography  .. His new album done with saxophonist Neil Welch on Slow & Steady Records features a collection of compositions and improvisations directly inspired by the landscapes of the American West – especially Whidbey Island, located just north of Seattle, WA. Reflecting “an urge...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Percussionist, Educator & Foundation Executive Director of the CNY Jazz Central Orchestra  Larry Luttinger .. We caught up with him to talk about the new 2024 CD If a White Horse from Jerusalem featuring NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman, the history of the orchestra and his life in music. He has been part of the Syracuse Symphony Orchest...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with U kraine-based Jazz Saxophonist & Composer  Carlo Muscat  on the 2024 Album The Body is Only Light  .. We caught up with this talent to discuss his latest project billed as a testament to the country’s unyielding spirit amidst an invasion. Set against a nation grappling with the harsh realities of war, each track reveals a specific em...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz  Violinist & Composer Jeremy Gignoux .. We caught up with him from his base in Canada to talk about his group Calgaréal and their  new 2024 CD Vanishing Points. The band is a  dynamic new Canadian cross-country collective creating wonderful music. It’s the band’s first full album and we cover the history of their union, as well....

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Acclaimed Bebop Saxophonist  Eric Alexander & Jazz Producer at Flushing Town Hall Clyde Bullard .. We caught up with them to talk about the November 22, 2024 show and recent projects, along with a host of surprises along the way. Flushing Town Hall recently launched an interactive Queens Jazz Trail Map highlighting the homes of the j...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Montreal & New York-based Cellist  Sahara von Hattenberger .. We caught up with her about her new 2024 CD 1Q84 and her life in music. Fans of Japanese literature may recognize the title of the new album as having been borrowed from acclaimed author Haruki Murakami’s most famous fantasy novel,  1Q84 . The story begins in 1984 and foll...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Italy-born, Ottawa University-based Jazz Guitarist  Gennaro Caggiano .. We caught him performing at the Voo Lounge in downtown Kansas City as a part of a jazz futures show sponsored by the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors. Subsequently, we caught up with him and found out his fascinating story. From his beginnings on the piano in the old...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Vocalist & Educator  Melinda Rose & Pianist Frenchy Romero .. We caught up with this duo about their new 2024 CD I’m on My Way. They met when there were teenagers and Miami was their fertile stomping ground. WE get into their friendship, music union, the new album and the future ahead. It’s a great story. More on Melinda & Frenc...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Percussionist of Sandbox Percussion   Victor Caccese .. We talked about the GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble  Sandbox Percussion  and their union with the Tyshawn Sorey Trio collaborating on a special Max Roach tribute, performed live. Together, the two groups will explore the extraordinary legacy of jazz pioneer Max Roach, who was bo...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Singer/Songwriter Eugenie Jones As She Unveils a New 2025 Release .. It has been 9 years since we first interviewed at Neon Jazz and much has happened since then. We get into her new 2025 Upcoming CD “Eugenie”. It is a groove-infused journey into passion, betrayal and revenge out on January 20, 2025. We cover her life the...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Brooklyn Jazz Trio Works with  Michel Gentile, Daniel Kelly and Rob Garcia .. Full of unique instrumentation, innovative compositions and 17 years of group chemistry, we get into their new 2024 album  Scouring For The Elements . Each band member contributed original compositions, reflecting their profound commitment to the co...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Composer, Pianist, Bandleader & Accompanist  Anne Sajdera .. We talked about her new 2024 CD It’s Here and a very esteemed existence in the jazz world. She stands as a creative force whose music encompasses an unusually far-flung array of traditions. With musical roots spanning the globe, she melds American and Brazilian jazz to...

 Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  LA-based Jazz Vocalist & Composer   Maria Schafer .. We talked to her about her new 2024 CD Here For You and an interesting story about how jazz became her career. This new project marks a pivotal moment in her career featuring six original compositions on an album firmly rooted in straight-ahead jazz, while showcasing her modern to...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  NYC-based Jazz Bassist & Composer  Carlos Mena .. We caught up with him to talk about his new 2024 CD Con Personas/With the People and a life in music. Originally from Ecuador, he comes from a family of musicians and continues to honor his family tradition to this day. He began playing music professionally as a percussionist when he...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Netherlands-based Jazz Co-Leader, Composer & Drummer  Jonas Linnemann .. We caught up with him to talk about his new 2024 CD StarkLinnemann Quintet - “Eroica” Transcending Beethoven Vol.3 and his life in music. HIs life brought him to America in Salina, KS at 16 where he flourished in his jazz studies. These days, he continues to hon...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  NYC-based Jazz Drummer  Zach Adleman .. We caught up with him about his new 2024 CD WE MAKE Stories for a New Day, his life in music so far and much more. He has been playing drums since he was 6 years. While growing up in Montclair, New Jersey, he discovered his inspiration for music from his musical parents and neighbors. When he w...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Polish-based  Music Artist  Latarnik  on new 2024 music  .. We caught up with him from his studio via Zoom in Poland to talk about his projects, a life in music and so much more.  Błoto’s bold 2020 debut brought forth three albums in just twelve months. This prolific creative burst, followed by an ongoing tour and involvement in other...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Saxophonist, Flautist & Educator  Dann Zinn  on the 2024 album Two Roads  .. On this sixth album as a leader, it was inspired by the Robert Frost poem "A Road Not Taken," which took on greater significance for Zinn after a jogging accident in which he severely injured his right hand. The album was recorded before the accident, w...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Nashville-based Jazz Drummer  John Alvey .. We caught up with him to talk about his new 2024 CD Loft Glow, live shows and his life in music. He has been a regular of the Nashville jazz scene and roots music scene for a decade. He can be found playing in different musical incarnations in Nashville or on the road. Over the years, he ha...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Brooklyn-based Jazz Saxophonist & Composer  Omer Leshem .. We caught up with him to talk about his new 2024 CD Play Space. Originally from Israel, his unique compositional style is influenced by a wide range of genres and concepts, including classical European harmonies, Mediterranean grooves and lyricism, and contemporary free jazz....