Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Taiwanese Jazz Violinist, Composer, Educator & Podcaster Hsinwei Chiang .. She talked about her new 2023 CD Black Stream: Autumn. This album is the last volume of a recording series in a four-volume recording series in collaboration with Vibraphonist Patricia Brennan, Bassist Hilliard Greene and Drummer Nasheet Waits. She is a world t...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Vibraphonist Terry Gibbs on the 2023 The Terry Gibbs Songbook Project .. He opens up about this tribute to the unparalleled talent of legendary jazz icon. At 98 years old, he proves that age is just a number with this album. Produced in collaboration with his Grammy-nominated percussionist son Gerry and featuring lyrics...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Trombonist, Composer, Arranger & Educator Javier Nero .. We cover his sophomore recording Kemet: The Black Land featuring The Javier Nero Jazz Orchestra. The album meditates on Kemet, the ancient Egyptian, highly-advanced Black civilization.. We cover this project, surviving COVID, his life in music and much more .. Dig this stor...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz GRAMMY-Nominated Percussionist Sammy Figueroa .. He glowingly opened up about his new 2023 CD Searching For A Memory serving as a remarkable journey featuring GRAMMY-winning Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and the dynamic Latin GRAMMY-winning Cuban vocalist Aymée Nuviola. This is his first album in nearly a decade is de...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jerusalem-based Singer & Spiritual Leader Alon Michael .. He opened up at length about his duo project with acclaimed jazz pianist Kenny Werner creating a unique fusion of Hasidic music, jazz harmonies and lieder type performance for voice and piano, based on a combination of the Psalms, and the melodies of Rabbi Taub. Fire and Praise...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Kansas City Jazz Musician & Educator Bryan Hicks .. He  was introduced to music in high school, where he played cello, bass, and sang. After only one year of college as a cello major, he became a full time professional at the age of 20. He started his career with the Inner-City Orchestra ..Over the years, he went on to play wi...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Jazz Organist & Bandleader Chris Hazelton on the 2023 CD After Dark .. On this new album,  he takes organ music back to it's traditional 'After Dark' setting, alongside a quintet of Kansas City's finest. Inspired by his late mentors Everette DeVan, Seleno Clarke, and the incomparable Dr. Lonnie Smith, the new CD invokes th...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Bassist Quinn Sternberg  on the 2023 CD Walking on Eggshells.. As Quinn noted, it seems like we’re all walking on eggshells these days. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world, but there’s also a lot of optimism. On the heels of his successful 2022 release Cicada Songs, he presents another set of meticulously composed and perfo...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Chicago Jazz Bassist & Composer Clark Sommers on the 2023 CD Feast Ephemera .. This new music reflects on his life over the past two decades, and the love, camaraderie and solidarity that he shares with his family in music. The pandemic made virtual hermits of almost everyone, and especially those whose lives and work revolved around...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Montreal-based Jazz Vocalist Olivia Maisel .. We talked about her debut album A Moment In Time that serves as a reflection of decades of personal experience. Very early on in her process, she created a storyboard for the album with the guidance of acclaimed, Grammy-nominated singer Kate McGarry. Those first steps set her on a path to...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with NYC Jazz Vocalist JD Walter on new 2023 Projects .. One of his projects is the 2023 CD What the World Needs Now. It serves as an album of overlooked gems revealing his skills as a composer, his mastery of the intimate ballad, his talent for reinventing pop and jazz Standards to bring a new depth to these songs, and his ability to swin...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with UK-based Jazz Vocalist Paul Hughes .. We had a good talk about his new host of singles, COVID life and his world of music .. These days he is in the midst of recording a new album of songs written by Nashville’s Byron Hill. Hill has worked for such greats as Ray Charles and Kenny Rogers .. His three singles are ‘My Lucky Stars,’ ‘I Be...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Ottawa-based Jazz Pianist & Composer James McGowan on the 2023 CD Reaching In .. This new project is the first half of an extended story told through music, spoken-word program notes and visual art. It depicts a protagonist's journey from struggles of isolation, low self- worth, social anxiety, addiction and loss, to finding peace, ac...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Spain-based Bassist, Composer, Arranger, Orchestrator, Producer & Writer Gustavo Gregorio .. He talked about his new 2023 CD Anagrama from his base in Spain. He has played and/or recorded and/or arranged for countless artists of various styles in countries on several continents in addition to his own bands, with whom he has recorded 6...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Organist Mitch Towne .. He opened up at length about his new 2023 CD SRT – Vanguards of Groove. On SRT’s debut album, it is the work of three seasoned and accomplished pros who are still hungry. It’s an all-instrumental outing, as tight, funky and thunderously rocking as it is warm and nuanced. Featuring the legendary Joh...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with LA-based Jazz Drummer, Composer, Educator & Bandleader Tina Raymond .. She opened up about her new 2023 CD Divinations, COVID survival and much more. On her newest release, she leads her trio through a set of new and original compositions that showcase her stellar musicianship, and broad musical imagination. Originally from Detroit, t...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Composer, Guitarist & Producer Noshir Mody.. He opens up about his new 2023 CD A Love Song that is a collection of contemporary instrumental jazz that pays tribute to love and life. Born in Bombay, India, his passion for music was evident from an early age. He immersed himself in the rich tapestry of Indian classical music and wa...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with NYC Jazz Bassist Craig Akin on the 2023 CD Me, My Bass & I .. He began playing bass professionally while in college and since completing my Music Education degree in 1997, he played over 5,000 gigs of everything imaginable and been featured on 100+ albums. About 99.97% of his activity has been as a hired sideman to accompany others. A...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with NYC-based Jazz Guitarist, Composer & Educator Roni Ben-Hur .. We primarily caught up with him about his new 2023 CD Love Letters, surviving COVID and his long life in music .. Born in Israel, he has earned a sterling reputation as a musician and educator, renowned for his golden tone, improvisational brilliance, compositional lyricism...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Improviser, Composer-Arranger & Band Leader Edward Simon on the new 2023 Album Femeninas: Songs of Latin American Women .. On this project, he is joined by Adam Cruz on drums and Reuben Rogers on bass, and special guests Mexican vocalist Magos Herrera, Venezuelan percussionist Luis Quintero, and Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Ireland-based Executive Producer & Jazz Radio Host  Dermot Rogers .. We caught up with him about his efforts to release the 2023 CD Some Other Blues from two accomplished Irish jazz musicians in guitarist Louis Stewart and pianist Noel Kelehan. This previously unreleased material is regarded as a Holy Grail of Irish Jazz as it's the o...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Los Angeles-based Jazz Keyboardist & Composer Kait Dunton on the 2023 Album Keyboards .. The album features a new trio with drummer Jake Reed and bassist Sean Hurley on a set fusing vintage grooves and sophisticated songwriting .. As the straight-to-the-point title suggests, the album celebrates the palette of colors and moods that Du...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Montreal-based Pianist François Bourassa on the 2023 album Swirl – Live at Piccolo .. Leading his award-winning Jazz Quartet, he etches a very inspired live performance .. He gets into the chemistry of the band on this album, surviving COVID, the future and so much more .. Dig this interview ..  Get Swirl -  https://franoisbourassaqua...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Marimba / Vibraphone Virtuoso Taiko Saito on the 2023 Album Tears of a Cloud .. On this new solo album, she throws the spotlight on a major talent in improvised new music. Most of the album is totally improvised with no preconceived ideas. Anything might happen once she starts and does so in spectacular fashion .. We cover this a...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with St. Louis-based Jazz Trombonist, Bandleader & Educator John Covelli with Hard Bop Messengers on 2023 Happenings .. It has been a year since we last spoke here at Neon Jazz. A whole lot has happened as we enter into this new post-COVID reality. He talks about his Grateful Dead shows and so many other things that have happened and that...