Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Grammy Winning Legendary Drummer & Author  John ‘JR’ Robinson .. We caught up with this drum titan to talk about his new 2024 Book King of the Groove. Celebrating 50 years of making music, he is bringing his incredibly diverse career to light with his first book. It includes a foreword written by the legendary Quincy Jones. Over the...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  NYC-based Jazz Guitarist and Composer  Brad Shepik .. We talked about his new 2024 CD "Human Activity: Dream of the Possible.“ On his ninth album as a leader, it stands as a ten-movement meditation on the climate challenges we face, seeking to inspire action for a sustainable future. He has previously recorded eight albums as a leade...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Hartford-based  Jazz Pianist  Andrew Wilcox .. We caught up with this talent to talk about his debut and new 2024 CD Dear Dr. Hill. This album is in honor of the legendary Andrew Hill. The album as a whole is a missive from Wilcox to the many mentors and influences that have guided him along his path. Originally from Boylston, MA, he...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Jazz Pianist  Orrin Evans  on the 2024 album Walk A Mile in my Shoe with The Captain Black Big Band  .. The fifth release from this twice Grammy-nominated outfit is a reference to a malformation of the left foot that Orin has lived with from birth. Along with the big band, he has a host of special guests like Lisa Fischer and...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Milwaukee-based Jazz Vocalist  Marcya Daneille .. Her career embodies the rich tradition and vibrant innovation of jazz music. With her eclectic background and extensive performance history, her journey in jazz is a testament to the genre's enduring appeal and continual evolution. Born in Germany and seasoned in vibrant cultu...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with UK-based  Rising Star Jazz Vocalist  Helena Debono and  Composer/Arranger  Charlie Bates .. We caught up with this duo to discuss their new 2024 CD A Thousand Nights, their artistic union and much more. Today, they are two of the UK’s most exciting young performers and rising stars in the world of jazz have joined forces to create  th...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Kansas City-based Jazz Bassist  Spencer Reeve  .. We caught up with this young, aspiring and hungry player on the thriving Kansas City jazz scene. By way of Fresno, California, he came to the University of Kansas to learn under the veteran sage player Matt Otto. These days, he is playing jazz and more multiple nights each week in the...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Jazz Pianist, Composer & Educator  Michael Jefry Stevens .. We caught up with him about his new 2024 CD Solo Piano CD The Peacocks and quite a life lived in the jazz world. Over the past 40 years, he has been associated with some of the most important figures in modern jazz. Beginning with his first CD release in 1991 as a me...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Jazz Vocalist, Pianist & Educator  Suzanne Pittson .. We talked with this prolific and accomplished artist about her new 2024 CD Emerge Dancing and a great life in jazz. These days she is living in New York and grew up in a musical family, She began piano studies at age 8. She subsequently earned a Bachelor of Music and Maste...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  New Orleans-based Jazz Bassist, Composer & Educator  Jake Noble .. We talked to him about his new and debut 2024 CD Letting Go of a Dream and his world of music. He is well known as both a bandleader and in-demand sideman. This new project was initially conceived as a platform to honor his greatest musical influences: Bill Evans, Cha...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran Jazz Singer  Allyson Briggs .. We caught up with her to talk about the new 2024 CD Promises, Prayers, And Raindrops Allyson Briggs Sings Burt Bacharach. This Fleur Seule Founder has been a dynamic bandleader and business woman in Manhattan for over a decade. In addition to leading her own band, she has been on hundreds of pub...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Bassist & Composer  Matt Booth .. From his base in North Carolina, we got into his new 2024 CD Sun Prints. This is his first album of all original music that is freewheeling and varied, but stays true to the contemporary jazz tradition. As a prominent performer on the New Orleans jazz scene, he found a great deal of success both...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Palestinian Oud Player  Abdul-Wahab Kayyali AKA Abboud .. He opened up about the new release called Towards the Light from an adventurous group of Montreal-based musicians called Les Arrivants. They are all from Iran, Lebanon/Jordan, and Argentina, and you'll hear those places in their music. This band of new immigrants to Canada exp...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Grammy Recognized Jazz Singer  Tianna Hall .. We got into her new 2024 CD The Vintage Jukebox and a great life in the jazz. This vocal powerhouse based in Houston, Texas has had a very colorful career. She is a distinguished alumna of the University of Houston and has been going solid every since. Dig this story. For More Neon Jazz I...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Vocalist  Zack Foley .. We caught up with him to talk about his new 2024 CD Silent Boomer X done with bassist Frank Wagner and drummer C.J. Everett. He goes all-in on standard repertoire but in a non-standard way, departing from the conventional “crooner” sound and letting his tenor voice play a role traditionally filled by the...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran  Chicago Jazz Composer  Maxx McGathey .. We caught up with him about his new 2024 CD Imaginary Eyes that stands as his first project with his name on it. Best known for his work with the doom funk band Gramps The Vamp and his original live scores for classic silent films for presenters NPR/WBEZ, The Music Box Theatre, and the...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Montreal-based Jazz Composer & Saxophonist  Benjamin Deschamps .. As a leader of the band No Codes, he talked to the show about his new 2024 CD Usual Suspect. On their second album, this instrumental jazz collective continues to push the boundaries of contemporary jazz. The group’s main artistic philosophy is to explore and challenge...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Veteran NYC Jazz Keyboardist and Composer  Rachel Z Hakim .. We caught up with this fascinating musician to talk about her new 2024 CD Sensual. It’s an album that embodies the beauty of family, relationship, and the art of experiencing the fullness of life with every sense. It’s a sonic love letter from Rachel Z to her husband and th...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Brazilian Jazz Trombonist & Educator  Felipe Brito ..    From his teaching base in Cape Girardeau, MO, we talked to him about his debut and new 2024 CD Don’t Put Off Till Tomorrow, along with a great life in music. As a performer, he has shared the stage with the likes of Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano, among a plethora of others. His...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Swedish Jazz Multi-Instrumentalist  Gunhild Carling  on the 2024 CD Jazz is my Lifestyle ..  We caught up with this creative force while on tour in France to talk about this impressive new release. Replete with her own artwork and originals, it’s another monumental step for this veteran musician always making the world brighter with...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Boston-based Jazz Bassist of Buffalo Monroe  Matt Courtney .. We caught up with this veteran and talented journeyman to talk about the new 2024 CD Buffalo Monroe Meets Willie Waldman, his journey in music and the band in general. They are a jazz-fusion band from Boston that formed in 2020. The founding members of the band are multi-i...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Toronto-based Jazz Multi-Instrumentalist & Songwriter  Lennox Campbell-Berzins .. We caught up with him to talk about his new & debut 2024 CD "Lullabies for Lenny" and his life in music. This album is a departure from form for the musician as it stands as a jazz guitar album that implements the rare, unique, and widely undiscovered t...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Madison, Wisconsin-based Award Winning Jazz Bassist & Composer  John Christensen .. We get into his new 2024 album Soft Rock that stands as his sophomore album. His debut album was the  celebrated 2018 release of Dear Friend. He always supplies an open-hearted solidity and adventurous spirit to all of his music endeavors. While an ar...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Jazz Guitarist, Composer & Educator  Philip Weberndoerfer .. We caught up with this rising jazz musician about his new 2024 CD Tides and a live in jazz. Originally from Germany, he has been thriving in the pursuit of music since his early childhood in the countryside of Bavaria. He has been portrayed as a resourceful visionary with a...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with  Kansas City-based Veteran Jazz Singer & Creative  Cynthia van Roden .. She is a talented vocalist, model, and performer who won the Bar Natasha Idol, a local competition for new cabaret talent, and was nominated by KC Jazz Ambassadors as KC's Favorite Vocalist. She has also worked at Hallmark, where she booked talent and voice overs,...