Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Malibu, California-based Jazz Pianist, Composer & Producer Lisa Hilton .. We caught up with her on April 30, 2020 during the Coronvirus lockdown .. and we talked about how she has been doing during this surreal time in our world .. She is full of West Coast cool energy and her recordings are full of subtle historical references fr...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Trumpeter, Composer, Producer & Vocalist Theo Croker  .. He opened up about the pandemic during late April 2020 .. He’s is still producing and has some relief from the hectic pace of his life .. Originally from Leesburg, Florida and a very musical family .. This Grammy Award nominee, three-time Echo Award nominee, as well as...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Drummer Paul Shaw .. During early April 2020 he opened up about being in Quarantine in the heart of New York City and his new 2020 CD – He grew up in Southern New Jersey and began playing the drums at age 5 and had some interesting tales about Kansas City and gigs around the world .. Dig .. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compan...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with California-based, Swedish-born Gunhild Carling Jazz Musician & Multi-Instrumentalist .. Known  for playing three trumpets at the same time – she also plays trombone, bagpipes, trumpet, recorder, string instruments (such as banjo, ukulele and harp), and will often showcase all of her skills in one song – and breaking into dance or...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran NYC Jazz Guitarist Steve Cardenas .. We caught up with Steve on April 17, 2020 during the COVID-19 Quarantine to discuss a number of things .. like upcoming projects, what he’s been doing in Brooklyn during the jazz shutdown and his beginnings in Kansas City. He talked about playing with heroes and legends like Paul Motian, Ch...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Keyboardist, Composer, Bandleader, Songwriter, Producer & Educator David Billingsley .. He released his debut solo piano album on May 15th called "Hymns From Grandmas Living Room." And he talks about it .. Born in Racine, Wisconsin and now residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this child prodigy made his debut as a profess...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Guitarist Henry Robinett .. He opened up about his 2019 CD Jazz Standards Then, Volume 1 and this new COVID-19 jazz world we live in during late April from his home on the West Coast .. This jazz musician, recording artist, composer, bandleader, teacher, and so much more has been playing guitar six age thirteen. He comes from an...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Jazz Pianist & Vocalist Candace Evans  .. We caught up with this very popular and versatile musician on the Midwest music scene to talk about her life in jazz and this strange new COVID-19 jazz world with no live shows during early May 2020. Candace has performed a wide variety of music including jazz, classical, pop,...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Los Angeles-Based Jazz Vibraphonist Lolly Allen ... During Late March 2020 in Los Angeles as the Quarantine started to really take hold, we talked about her latest 2020 CD Coming Home .. Over the years, she has performed with the best .. like Terry Gibbs, Bob Mintzer, Rodney Whitaker, Maria Schneider, and The Jazz Composers Alliance....

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with New York Keyboardist Theo Hill on his new 2020 CD Reality Check during mid-April 2020 in the middle of the global pandemic of the Coronavirus Quarantine .. He recently relocated to Costa Rica and opened up about his new life, old life and this brand new world we are living in .. It was revealing and refreshing .. Dig .. Hosted by Simp...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Nashville-based Jazz Singer Kandace Springs .. During late March 2020 as the COVID-19 Quarantine began ramping up we talked from her home base of Nashville about her latest 2020 CD The Women Who Raised Me ..  She has a defined mix of R&B, jazz, and pop has been off and running with a very eventful career .. We talk about all of th...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Saxophonist & Composer Joe Lovano .. We caught up with Joe on April 17, 2020 during the COVID-19 Quarantine shutdown and he opened up about the new world we live in .. and talked about his 2019 CD Tapestry and upcoming projects .. This Cleveland born cat talked about the huge influences of his dad, Tony, aka Big T a...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Guitarist Al Di Meola .. During a very trying COVID-19 Quarantine world we talked about his newest 2020 CD – his sophomore homage to the Beatles called Across The Universe – it came out on March 13, 2020 – Right around when the actual live music was silenced on the planet .. So, he opened up about this project, the state of the w...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Avant-Garde Jazz Guitarist Mary Halvorson ..  We caught up with Mary during the COVID-19 Quarantine in April 2020 going on around the world to talk about a great number of thing .. Like her latest 2019 CD A Tangle of Stars…. Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, from 2017-2019 she has won Best Guitar in DownBeat's International Cr...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Jazz Legend .. Saxophonist and Educator Bobby Watson  .. He grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, and started taking piano lessons at age 10 .. From there, he attended junior high and high school in Minneapolis, where he learned saxophone. He went on to attend the University of Miami and moved on to New York to begin his profess...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Ukulele Virtuoso Jake Shimakukuro  .. He has a new 2020 Trio CD out and this musician has been redefining what the  ukulele is capable of for the last 20 years .. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 4 he was drawn to the sound of the instrument .. that literally means ‘jumping flea’ .. It was nearly 15 years ago that his rendition of George...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist Prodigy Joey Alexander .. He took some time out to talk about his 6th album .. and his latest  - 2020’s CD Warna on Verve Records .. Originally from India, he stormed America and the International jazz scene since arriving in New York City back in 2014 .. He’s 16 now and talked about averaging about 100 show’s a year for...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Philadelphia-born, NYC-based Jazz Trumpeter, Composer, Arranger and Producer Duane Eubanks  ... Kansas City-based Saxophonist B.J. Jansen is bringing Duane to Kansas City to perform on May 13th, 2020 at the Westport Coffeehouse Theater – and we had to catch up with him about it .. He also talked about his Live at Smalls CD from 2018 ....

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Vintage-Pop & Jazz Vocalist, Songwriter & Actress Kat Edmonson .. Her latest 2020 CD Dreamers Do is a story for all those who dream of a different path in life – the album explores the shared human struggle around daring to dream and it illuminates a range of emotional and psychological consequences that can happen along the w...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with NYC Jazz Composer, Pianist, Actor, Dancer & Public Speaker Harold O’Neal .. He talked about his majestic, huge sound on his new 2020 CD Once Upon A Time .. So, he was born in Tanzania and raised in Kansas City – He’s got some deep local roots ..  His great-grandfather was a jazz pianist and composer and his grandmother walked to s...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series Kansas City Veteran Jazz Saxophonist & Educator Todd Wilkinson .. He talked about his newest venture .. The 2019 CD On the Lam…. He is a lifelong native of Kansas City and has been performing professionally since 1983. He graduated from Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in 1978, and got his start playing in rock bands .. He’s been...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with World Renowned Jazz Percussionist, Composer, Arranger, Producer, Author and four time Grammy Winner Munyungo Jackson .. He opened up about his latest  2019 CD Morning Sun .. This West Coast artist can be found in virtually any musical setting—whether it’s Funk, Pop, Jazz, Latin, Reggae, or traditional dance music .. He’s been in music...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist, Organist, Drummer, Composer & Arranger Matthew Whitaker .. He opened up about his latest 2019 CD Now Hear This .. He has come a long way from his home of Hackensack, New Jersey surrounded by music .. So he started playing music at 3 and at 9 he taught himself how to play the Hammond B3 organ and would become the youn...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Award-Winning Jazz Vocalist & Actress Luba Mason ..  We had a spirited conversation about her new 2020 CD Triangles .. Her husband is 17 time Grammy Winner Ruben Blades and she was was a guest vocalist for his 2002 Grammy Award-winning CD Mundo and over the years she has toured the US and abroad .. She is a native New Yorker born...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Grammy®-Winning Producer, Composer & Arranger Brent Fischer .. He talked about a long, grand road in music and his latest project with his Orchestra that is his vvision of Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" .. These days he continues carries on the legacy of his legendary father Dr. Clare Fischer and has con...