Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with J  Tulsa-based Veteran Jazz Saxophonist  Grady Nichols .. We caught up with him to talk about his new 2024 single Night Music. It is a tribute to the legendary David Sanborn, a figure who has deeply influenced Grady's musical career. On David’s groundbreaking TV show, "Night Music," it showcased jam sessions with some of the industry'...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran  Jazz Pianist  Mariah Parker ..  We caught up with this talented artist about her  new 2024 CD Window Through Time, a long life in jazz, getting through COVID and so much more. On her latest project, she gets into the depths of Latin jazz, articulated through the lens of her unique musical vision. This album is a confluence of...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Minneapolis-based  Jazz Composer & Guitarist  Mike Wolter .. We caught up with him about his work with the band Early Planets and their new 2024 album The Waits / inBetween Music. On this debut, this trio also includes bassist Cody McKinney and drummer Cory Healey. Upon relocating to the Twin Cities from Chicago, Wolter dug into a var...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Drummer Lee McKinney and Saxophonist/Flautist  Greg Abate on the 2024 CD Reflection in Two Shades .. We caught up with Greg in Rhode Island and Lee in Ohio to talk about their stellar new recording, how they connected and so much more. This album is a major step forward in Lee’s career for it not only has him playing drums in a w...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Kansas City-based Jazz Saxophonist & Flutist  Mikole Kaar .. Born in New York City, previously in Southern California and now gladly calling Kansas City home .. We catchup with this veteran artist about his adventures in a life of music that has been well lived and gets better all the time .. For instance, he traveled to Euro...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with New York  Jazz Flutist & Composer on the 2024 CD What Times Are These  Jamie Baum  .. We caught up with this renowned artist to talk about her fifth recording with The Jamie Baum Septet+, her flagship ensemble on her first exploration of spoken word and art song. To be specific, seven of her ten compositions respond to works by a coho...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Jazz Arranger, Composer & Orchestrator  Chris McDonald .. We caught up with him from his home in Nashville to talk about his new 2024 CD It’s About Time, surviving COVID and a good life in the music .. Along with his Jazz Orchestra, this new album is a contemporary jazz odyssey of original compositions featuring the finest mu...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Newfoundland-based Saxophonist & Vocalist Natasha Blackwood .. We caught up with her about her new 2024 CD Love Songs for Good Machines, surviving COVID and being a late bloomer in the jazz world. This new album is replete with pop sensibilities rooted in modern-day folk storytelling. Natasha is a proud member of local groups Eastern...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Cellist  Daniel Levin and Improviser Ipek Eginli .. We caught up with them about their latest collaboration that resulted in the new 2024 CD Explorers. We also get into their unique musical union and so much more. Ipek is Turkish-American experimental sound artist who describes her music-making as “a process of a creation and a...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Drummer, Composer & Educator  Holly Channell .. We caught up with her to talk about her new 2024 CD Not Just a Standard, giving birth in COVID and a good life in jazz. She chose to do her debut album with arranged jazz standards because that’s how she learned to play and appreciate this music. Based in Boston, she plays everythi...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  NYC-based Jazz Guitarist & Composer  Aleksi Glick on the 2024 CD World Traveler .. We originally caught up with him in 2022 and now refine that conversation with a world full of live shows and new albums. Building on the success of his debut solo release  Guitar and Me,  this new album showcases the depth of his playing in an ensembl...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Singer, Pianist & Composer  Vidya Liselotte Sundberg .. We caught up with her from Stockholm to talk about her new 2024 CD Adi Shakti, a life in music and beyond. On her third studio album, she is building on the sentiment of her second album  Papillon  by drawing on her experience of having searched for, found, then lost her bi...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Jazz Bassist  Tom Kennedy .. We talked about surviving COVID, his new 2024 album New Start .. Asone of the top electric and acoustic bass players on the planet, this his his 6th solo album and features the Grammy-winning and  Modern Drummer  Hall of Famer Dave Weckl, as well as performances from Eric Marienthal, Randy Brecker...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Minneapolis Jazz Trio of  Jake Baldwin, Zacc Harris, Pete Hennig .. We cover their new and debut 2024 CD Boundaries, along with their history, surviving COVID and future hopes. The band is trumpeter Jake Baldwin, guitarist Zacc Harris and drummer Pete Hennig. The album features eight spontaneously improvised pieces that range from am...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Legendary Jazz Bassist & Composer  Avery Sharpe  on the 2024 Album I Am My Neighbors Keeper  .. Originally, we caught up with him back in 2019 prior to the pandemic. Today, we get into how he survived the pandemic times and his new album that is scheduled for release in June 2024. This new work highlights our commitment to one anothe...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Danish Jazz Musician & Author  Benjamin Koppel .. We get into his newest book that is becoming a movie and a new 2024 Single called Absurd, along with his colorful existence in jazz. He stands as a superb Danish musician from an illustrious music family. He is all about music—of just about any kind. He is known for his versatility an...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Violinist & Composer  Alexa Torres .. We get into her new album “ In situ” and her life in music. The title of this new album  is an archaeological term which refers to the original position of an artifact found in place. When she was 21, she spent five weeks excavating Maya ruins in the Belizean jungle. Essentially, she is a pe...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with LA-based  Jazz Bassist & Composer  Emiliano Lasansky .. We get into his brand new 2024 single Love in Small Spaces, his life in music, surviving COVID, live gigs and much more.  In "Love in Small Spaces," listeners are taken on a melodic voyage through the highs and lows of relationships, weaving together themes of passion, resilience...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City-based  Jazz Champion, Educator, Musician & ISJA Supporter  Mike Parkinson .. We caught up with Mike to talk about a long life lived in the jazz world as a musician, educator and advocate. Specifically, we honed in on a June 9, 2024 benefit concert that will take place at the Westport Coffeehouse Theater.  With the support...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Trombonist  Matthew Fillingham  & Trumpeter Justin Crossman of the Kansas City’s Back Alley Brass Band on a New EP & Summer Festivals  .. We caught up with these esteemed band leaders of the infectious New Orleans-flavored brass band to talk about a whole lot going on in their worlds. Along with Kansas City’s Boulevardia Festival, th...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  South African-based Jazz Saxophonist & Composer  Linda Tshabalala .. She won best newcomer in jazz for her debut album titled "Convergence: Bekezela Siyeza" at the Mzansi Jazz Awards in South Africa and was nominated for Jazz Artist of the Year at the Basad In Music Awards. We cover this debut album, her life in music and so much mor...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Saxophonists & Composers  Adam Larson & Chris Madsen  on the 2024 CD Trust Fund Tinder Goblins Howling at the Moon  .. Adam hopped on from his home in Kansas City, while Chris joined us from Chicago to talk about this sophomore album from a collaboratively-led band “Narrative” that also includes Scott Hesse, Clark Sommers and Jo...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Guitarist, Composer & Educator  Greg Skaff  on the 2024 Album Re Up  .. This cat has been swinging presence and improviser on the New York scene since the late ‘80s. On his latest project, he teamed up with bassist Ugonna Okegwo and young drumming sensation Jonathan Barber to make some more magic. We get into how this project ca...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Trombonist & Composer  Matthew McDonald .. We get into his new 2024 CD The Long Wait, getting through COVID, his history in music and much more. Over the years, he has performed at numerous jazz festivals and venues around the world. Since moving to New York in 2003, he has performed with countless ensembles and with the likes o...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Saxophonist  Klas Lindquist  on Being Named the 2023 Album of the Year  ..  He has received quit a bit of positive press about his latest 2023 album   "Alternative Source of Energy”, but he just received the highest honor by the  Swedish jazz magazine Orkesterjournalen as "The jazz album of the year in Sweden 2023”. This is the...