Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Saxophonist Kris Allen  .. He grew up in Connecticut and went on to learn quite a bit with with legendary alto saxophonist Jackie Mclean at Hartford’s Artists Collective – These days he is promoting his 2nd album as a leader  – 2016’s Beloved  - and continues to be a sought-after sideman – over the years he’s worked with the best...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Veteran Trumpeter Marcus Hampton  .. He’s gearing up for a new show at KC’s Blue Room off 18th and Vine on August 12, 2016 which will featured material from his latest 2014 Album -  Hampton House of Jazz – He talked about growing up in  Indianapolis as the the nephew of Slide Hampton and cousin of Lionel Hampton, his 21 ye...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Bassist and Member of the Collective called Myriad3 – Dan Fortin .. They just released a great sonic soundscape of an album in 2016’s Moons. – and this Canadian act came together in 2010 primarily by accident .. To date, they have 4 albums, they have been nominated for a Juno Award, had multiple tours of Canada, the US and Europe...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Alto Saxophonist, Composer and Arranger Logan Richardson  .. Talking to Logan in his current home of Paris, France, he opened up about his latest, critically acclaimed album Shift released in 2016 .. He also elaborated on growing up in Kansas City, playing with Harold O’Neal at Paseo High, Saturday Classes at the American Jazz Mu...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist Mike Jones ..  Right outta Buffalo, New York, he’s living in Las Vegas these days .. and he’s been at this jazz gigging for a long time .. These days he’s promoting his very nice 2016 CD Roaring and it’s already charting well .. Author Neil Gaiman has said that he has magic jazz fingers and that could have led to his long...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Drummer, Composer & Teacher Allison Miller  .. She grew up in the Washington DC area and her dad had a professional studio in their house where she grew up listening to pros recording amazing jazz music .. and she started out on the drums at 10 and loves them .. cannot live without them .. She is currently promoting her 2016...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist, Composer and Arranger Bill O’Connell  .. Hew grew up in New York and started playing the piano when he was younger .. a calling that he knew would lead to a career in music .. With his Latin All Star’s –- He just released a 2016 called Heart Beat and stays very active on the jazz faculty of Rutgers University – Over his...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz free jazz double bassist, multi-instrumentalist, poet and composer William Parker .. He grew up in the Bronx and was always around music .. listening to from crib that his father and friends would make and used to turn toy guns into instruments for playtime .. He went on to study with cats like Jimmy Garrison and become a key com...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Drummer Herlin Riley  .. Right out of the music rich New Orleans area, he’s a cat with plenty of stories and reflections on a long life lived in the jazz world .. He just released his 2016 CD called New Direction and it’s getting received well by the public and on the charts .. In the beginnings, he used to hear his family play m...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz trumpeter, producer and educator Jeremy Pelt .. On the heels of releasing his latest 2016 album #JIVECULTUTURE, he is going stronger than ever .. and on this album he collaborated with the legendary Ron Carter and it’s been getting great reviews .. Whether being part of a big band like those of Roy Hargrove - The Village Vanguard...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz saxophonist, bandleader, composer and educator Jeff Coffin .. Over the course of our conversation,  Jeff spoke with me in his home of Nashville, Tennessee about a journey in music that has taken him all over the world delighting fans with his sax playing .. He is on the heels of a new 2015 CD that has a great name .. something we...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Jazz Drummer Danny Rojas .. He grew up in rural Kansas, went to school at the University of Kansas to study under the great Dan Gailey .. and made his way on over to Kansas City and it’s busy jazz scene .. Over the course of our conversation,  we discussed his gigs with Everette DeVann, Chris Hazelton and the Boogaloo 7, w...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Composer, Percussionist, Visual Artist , and Educator Gerry Hemingway .. He is an immensely talented and interesting cat living in Switzerland these days and for the past 6 years .. His life began in New Haven,  Connecticut and took some very cool turns after meeting and learning from and you hooked up with Anthony Davis, Leo Smi...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Talented NYC Jazz Singer Cyrille Aimée .. Her latest album “Let’s Get Lost” was released in January of 2016 and is charting very well and getting rave reviews .. Over the course of our conversation, we discussed her childhood in France where they would host the annual Django Reinhardt Festival .. from there, she fell in love with the...

Welcome to a Neon Jazz interview Kansas City jazz saxophonist Matt Otto .. These days he stays busy in a thriving Kansas City jazz scene playing at the Blue Room and around town with cats like Bob Bowman and Roger Wilder .. He is also busy as an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Kansas .. Over the course of our interview, he talked about his roots in Los Angeles, spending ti...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Saxophonist, Recording Artist, Performer, Teacher and a man that Harvey Pekar called one of the best tenor sax men in the world - Ernie Krivda  .. Over the course of our conversation, he talked about an upcoming gig in Kansas City at the Blue Room off 18th and Vine on April Fool’s Day 2016 .. He also talked about his latest album...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Saxophonist, Flautist, Composer, and Arranger Greg Abate .. Over the course of our conversation,  we talked about a great number of things .. This Woonsocket, Rhode Island native was a part of the 2016 class inducted into the Rhode Island Hall of Fame .. This cat has had a very long and storied jazz existence .. He got educated a...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Talented NYC  Jazz Singer Barbara Rosene .. Over the course of our interview,  she talked about spending some quality time in Kansas City playing at joints like the Green Lady Lounge and Jardines .. She grew up in a small town outside of Cleveland, Ohio and has gone on to become a star in the real of the 20s, 30s and 40s jazz world in...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Jazz Saxophonist and Educator Brett Jackson  ..  He grew up in North Newton, Kansas and made his way to Kansas City to make it his home in a very busy jazz scene .. These days is a part of Project H, the Boogaloo 7, the KC Jazz Orchestra, Vine Street Rumble and Clint Ashlock’s New Jazz Order .. He is also teaching the futu...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City jazz pianist Roger Wilder  - Over the course of our interview, we discussed his music roots with his family in Rochester, New York .. Getting a degree at the University of Miami and spending some time down there before coming back to New York .. From there, he made his way to Kansas City in 2000 and has been very active in...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz guitar Virtuoso Stanley Jordan .. His life in music began as a child with the piano and would eventually migrate to the guitar .. His unique approach to playing the instrunment was inspired by the work he put in on the keys .. Stanley is a very intelligent and gifted musician that has brought the world an incredible amount of goo...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with NYC-Jazz Sax Journeyman Donny McCaslin .. Over the course of our interview he touched on the whirlwind he has been going through in the wake of being on David Bowie’s final album – Blackstar .. but our focus was a long road that has been dedicated to the jazz craft .. It started in Santa Cruz, California and being inspired by his dad...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with prolific legendary jazz Double Bassist Ron Carter  –  His long career has been full of originality and been quite prolific he hold a jazz record with more than 2,000 albums to his credit and he’s played with the finest to ever grace music .. cats like Tommy Flanagan, Gil Evans, Lena Horne, Bill Evans, B.B. King and was very influenced...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with pianist, jazz cat and music visionary Brian Haas  .. He is the leader of the jazz force known as the Jacob Fred Jazz Oddysey .. right outta Tulsa, Oklahoma .. These days, he is in a super group known as Nolatet and they are gearing up for a Febraury 2016 album release and a subsequent tour around the United States .. Brian has spent h...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with legendary jazz saxophonist and flutist Lew Tabackin – Over the course of our conversation, he talked about his start in Philadelphia and his move into playing with some of the best in the business .. like  Tal Farlow, Don Friedman the bands of Cab Calloway, Maynard Ferguson, Joe Henderson, Chuck Israels, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Clar...