Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with LA-based Jazz Songwriter & Recording Artist Cliff Beach .. He opened up about his new 2024 CD You Showed Me The Way, along with a host of projects that occurred during the pandemic. He was born into a family with strong musical roots and like most of the musicians that he idolized as a kid, he too grew up playing music in the church a...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Trumpet Legend Eddie Henderson on the 2024 Documentary Uncommon Genius .. This new PBS Documentary about the extraordinary life of Edward “Eddie” Henderson will receive its film world premiere at SMOKE Jazz Club in New York City on February 7, 2024 followed by a live set of music performed by Eddie and pianist George Cables. It w...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Celebrated & Veteran Jazz Pianist Darrell Grant .. We caught up with him about his new 2023 CD Our Mr. Jackson and covered his sense of purpose, agency, and connection to community. Through eight albums as a bandleader, numerous recordings as a sideman, a growing body of compositions, and two decades of service as an educator and lead...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Celebrated Los Angeles-based Songwriter & Guitarist Molly Miller .. She has a new album coming out on May 3, 2024 called The Ballad of Hotspur .. On this third album of hers, it is an instrumental Americana Jazz album tinged with surf rock and draws its name from a character in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1, based on the 14th-century...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Pianist & Keyboardist Jeff Babko .. We caught up with him while on tour in Japan to talk about this new 2023 CD The Libretto Show, his life in music and much more .. He is a native of Southern California and has remained on the west coast throughout his career.  He constantly balances many musical and professional hats, a...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Artists in Bassist David Chevan & Pianist Warren Byrd .. They opened up about their new 2024 album Our Feet Began to Pray on Reckless DC Music. The concept for the title song, My Feet Began to Pray, came during a protest march after the death of George Floyd, as the New Haven police were moving the crowd across a bridge....

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Italy-born, Seattle-based Jazz Pianist, Composer & Educator Francesco Crosara .. He opened up about this new 2024 CD Circular Motion and his life in music. His original music melds an impressive mix of jazz improvisation, a romantic vein from his classical Conservatory training in Rome, bouncy lyrical expression along with strong Lati...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Award Winning NYC Jazz Pianist & Composer Marius van den Brink .. He opened up about his new 2024 CD New York Knock featuring a supergroup of jazz musicians consisting of Sean Jones, Stacy Dillard, Matt Penman, Willie Jones III, and Keita Ogawa. In addition, several special guests like Maurice Brown and Ara Dinkjian make appearances t...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series Israeli-born Guitarist on the 2024 CD Dream Louder Rotem Sivan .. We caught up with him about his new 2024 CD Dream Louder that is a musical love letter to his wife and her immediate family .. He has been turning heads since arriving in New York City. Lauded for his energy, ideas and virtuosic chops, he has racked up an impressive list of...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Celebrated & Award Winning Composer & Arranger Gordon Goodwin .. The last time we caught up with him was in 2016 and now we talk about a host of Grammy nominations for the work on his 2023 albums Raymond Scott Reimagined & Patti Austin's For Ella 2 .. His nominations include Best Jazz Vocal Album, Best Instrumental Composition, Best A...

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series .. On this episode, we talk with Legendary Tuba Player Joseph Daley .. We caught up with him to talk about getting through the pandemic and the release of his 2024 CD The Tuba Trio Chronicles .. After over 50 years of recognition as one of the consummate sidemen on the adventurous music scene with legends like Sam Rivers, Car...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Georgian-born Pianist & Composer Giorgi Mikadze .. We caught up with him at the original school that taught him jazz in Georgia to discuss how far he has come and specifically his new 2024 CD Face to Face: Georgian Songbook Vol. 1 .. He started out following a well-trodden path on the way to becoming a successful jazz musician: leavin...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Celebrated Jazz Saxophonists Jessica Jones & Tony Jones .. They opened up about their new 2024 CD Hearing into the Future where they display their creative intimate musical bond .. With over 40 years of playing together, as spouses and creators they have created an intimate musical bond. We cover this and so much more .. Enjoy ..  For...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Vocalist, Pianist & Composer Astghik Martirosyan .. We caught up with her to discuss her debut album .. the 2023 CD Distance .. It stands as an artistic statement born of intense reflection on the relationship between present and past, self and nation, one’s inner emotional life and the call of homeland. She wrote the music in 20...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Award-Winning Chicago-based Jazz Bassist, Composer & Bandleader Ethan Philion .. We caught up with him about his new 2023 CD Gnosis. He is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and DePaul University who has been praised by the Washington Post for his "well honed chops and astounding musicality” and his debut album, Meditations on Mingus,...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran & Legendary Los Angeles Jazz Singer & Pianist Betty Bryant .. We caught up with this living legend about her new 2024 CD Lotta Livin' ..She is originally a native of Kansas City who has always brought a solid piano technique, a light, swinging touch and a skilled vocal approach to her music.. Dubbed “Cool Miss B” by her fellow...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Italy-born, Long Island-based Saxophonist & Arranger Ada Rovatti .. We caught up with her to discuss her new 2024 CD The Hidden World of Piloo that is her seventh album full of original songs with wide-ranging thematic surprises around every corner. She started playing saxophone in high school after years of classical piano training....

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Trumpeter, Composer & Educator Jun Iida .. We caught up with him to talk about his debut release .. the 2024 CD Evergreen .. He has established himself as a highly sought after musician performing extensively throughout the U.S. at notable jazz clubs, theaters, and festivals with his sextet and as a sideman. Originally from St. L...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Drummer Nasheet Waits .. We caught up with him to discuss his inclusion in a set of shows for the Max Roach Centennial Celebrations via New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on January 26, 2024 for Max’s Freedom Now Suite .. He will be joined by a stellar line up of talent .. like vocalist Cassandra Wilson, poets Soni...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series Celebrated Jazz Recording Artist, Vocalist & Best Selling Author Judy Whitmore .. We caught up with her about her new 2024 CD Come Fly With Me … She is a true modern-day Renaissance woman, heeds the call of the stage, the sky, and beyond. Her life as a vocal artist and writer has taken off. This best-selling author, vocalist, theater produ...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Drummer Reggie Quinerly on the 2024 Album The Thousandth Scholar .. His straight-ahead jazz blend gets an Afro-Caribbean spin on this new album out on January 19, 2024 on his own Redefinition Music. On this fifth album as a leader, he has an ace quartet including pianist Manuel Valera, bassist Matt Brewer, and percussionist Samue...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Brazilian-born, Chicago-based Jazz Bassist, Composer & Arranger Marcel Bonfim .. We got into his debut .. and new 2023 CD Farewell/Despedida .. As a native of Brazil, he began playing professionally in his hometown of São Paulo a decade and a half ago, before immigrating to the United States in 2015 when he decided to make Chicago his...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Pianist Larry Vuckovich .. This passionate and evolved artist was born in Montenegro on December 8, 1936 –in the former Yugoslavia. He lived through, witnessed and experienced firsthand hardships and dangers of World War II. In 1951, when he was 14, his family was granted political asylum in the United States, arriving...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with NYC-based Jazz Vocalist, Educator & Recording Artist Tyreek McDole .. Fresh off winning the 2023 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, we caught up with Tyreek to discuss this competition, his history in signing and what the future might hold. He was one of the five finalists who emerged from a record number of more than...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Chicago-based Improviser, Composer & Producer Paul Giallorenzo … Originally from Long Island, NY, Paul is now a staple of the Chicago music world with a diverse range of contexts in improvised, avant-jazz, experimental, and electro/acoustic music, performing regularly locally and throughout North America and Europe. We talked to him a...