Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Trombonist, Composer & Teacher Alan Ferber .. He is now promoting his newest 2016 Roots and Transitions – which happens to be very raw and special to him these days .. He just swung through Kansas City in May and continues to stay very active .. Originally from Oakland, he is a fan of big outfits .. whether it’s a nonet or a 17-p...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Saxophonist Rich Halley.. He talked about his latest record 2016’s The Outlier .. This Oregon-based cat has turning out smart brawny music for a couple of decades - At 15, you discovered jazz, he immediately became intensely interested – Since then, he’s gone on some great adventures .. in 1965 and 1966 he lived & played in Cairo...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with the Director of the Amazing and Long Standing Jazz Non-Profit Force JazzMobile – Robin Bell-Stevens .. She spoke with Neon Jazz about a monolith in the jazz world ..  It all began in 1964 in NYC with Dr. Billy Taylor and ended up attracting the likes of  John Coltrane, Jimmy Heath, Dizzie Gillespie, Horace Silver, Pharoah Sanders, Alb...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with prolific legendary jazz drummer Louis Hayes  –  This Detroit native is still going very strong in the jazz world .. In 2015, he released a beautiful new album called Return of the Jazz Communicators – So, in those early Detroit days things were hopping and he was gigging with Yusef Lateef, Kenny Burrell and Doug Atkins – that led him...

On August 26, 2016, at the culmination of a week-long Kansas City jazz celebration for Charlie Parker, George took a break from his set at the Blue Room off 18 and Vine to talk about his visit from Washington DC, the enduring legacy of Bird and much more. Dig it .. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advert...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Alto Saxophonist Erena Terakubo .. Originally Sapporo, Japan and now in New York City, she just released a very nice 2016 album called A Time for Love – She learned from the great Herbie Hancock early on and in 2010 she recorded her album North Bird with the legendary Kenny Barron .. she is a vital voice in the world of jazz in J...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Guitarist Michael Blum .. Originally from Long Island, NY , he is busy promoting his newest 2016 album Chasin' Oscar – A Tribute to Oscar Peterson – and he’s also working on a new fusion project as we speak .. He was voted in Downbeat’s 2015 issue as a Rising Star  on the Guitar list and is really gaining traction in the jazz wor...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Brooklyn-based Jazz Vocalist and Composer Sara McDonald .. She was born in Virginia .. but was a Military brat and never stayed anywhere very long .. so, she was all over the map .. She has a unique, jazz wall of sound and has a new EP coming out in the Fall of 2016 – She graduated from New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music with...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Veteran Saxophonist Dan Thomas .. I caught up with him between sets at the Blue Room off 18th and Vine to talk to him about his life as a Kansas City musician, his gig at that historic place off 18th and Vine and some more .. So, dig this interview, my friends .. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Saxophonist, Flautist, Composer, Arranger and Teacher T.K. Blue  .. He’s got a new album in the works .. and he is always one busy cat .. He has spent some quality time with KC’s own Bobby Watson in the past .. He grew up in the Bronx and his parents were from Trinidad and Jamaica – This is one well educated man .. along with New...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Italian Jazz Pianist and composer Dino Massa from Naples, Italy .. He took some time from him home in Italy to speak with Neon Jazz in Kansas City to discuss a collaborative album a new CD venture called “Echoes of Europe” that will be avaiblabe worldwide on January 2, 2017 – This came about after an encounter with KC-based alto saxop...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist Jeb Patton  .. His latest album is 2015’s Shades and Tones and like all his work, it’s impressive as a modern jazz voice out there .. From Silver Springs, Maryland, he did Pre-Med at Duke University  before switching over to music and learning from Sir Roland Hanna and Jimmy Heath Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens C...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Saxophonist, Flautist, Composer & Arranger Don Braden .. His last album was 2015’s Luminosity  - and in the fall of 2016 he will release Earth Wind and Wonder .. Don was born in Cincinnati and raised in Louisville  and in the 1980’s he went to Harvard as an Engineering major – After writing code for software in NYC for some time,...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Bassist, Composer & Producer Daniel Foose  .. He is releasing his new 2016 CD Of Water and Ghosts on October 7 and he’s a very busy cat .. Originally from New Orleans, but raised in Austin -  His father played the guitar and piano and piano .. and was in and out of the studio when Daniel was a child .. He would go on to North Tex...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Pianist - Multi-Instrumentalist - Composer - Arranger – Producer Miles Black .. Named after the master Miles Davis – he was born in Port Alberni, British Columbia and learned both jazz and classical music early on with great teaching .. He was performing professionally at age 14 and has gone on to be with the best in the business .. w...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Saxophonist, Clarinetist and Composer Quinsin Nachoff  .. Originally from Toronto, Canada, he grew up digging jazz and the albums of Eric Dolphy .. it was in his parents collection and both of them were musicians .. He’s currently promoting his newest 2016 album Flux .. he is also a teacher and uses his experience getting his Bac...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Veteran Saxophonist Charles Perkins  .. WE had the honor to speak with him about a great life in jazz .. He spoke about his time in Kansas City .. learning from the great Eddie Baker and being influenced by the great Charlie Parker .. He spoke about what is going on lately, what is next and many more tales from his jazz li...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with the Jazz Group The Wee Trio  .. I caught up with a few members of the band to discuss their 2008 origins coming out of Brooklyn and more importantly .. their thoughts and plans on their  latest record – 2016’s Wee + 3 – They had a plenty to say about their careers up to this point, what has influenced them and what the future may just...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Guitarist, Composer and Arranger Anthony Wilson..  He grew up in LA and is the son of Bandleader Gerald Wilson, so he has been around jazz his whole life .. His latest record  is 2016’s Frogtown and it’s another first in a career of firsts .. it’s his debut as a singer .. Always swayed by Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Wes Mo...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Veteran Saxophonist, Composer and Producer David Binney.. He was born in Miami -  raised in Southern California and these days he’s a fixture in New York City  .. and amongst many other things .. He performs regularly at the 55 Bar  - In LA he had great teachers, but in NYC he studied with Phil Woods, Dave Liebman and G...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Accomplished Veteran Jazz Saxophonist & Composer Steve Heckman.. This cat is always busy and consistently putting out quality jazz .. His most recent 2016 CD is his take on John Coltrane .. It’s called Legacy and he really nailed the sound, yet in his own distinctive way that he has always delivered music .. He talks about this latest...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Bandleader & Composer Gordon Goodwin   ..  His big phat band  started in 1999 – the first concert at you alma mater Cal State University Northridge ringing in a collection of styles: swing, Latin, blues, classical, rock – They just released 2016’s An Elusive Man – along with this venture, he’s a successful composer and arranger i...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Guitarist, Vocalist and Composer Alan Harris .. He grew up in in Brooklyn and his 11th album is 2016’s Nobody’s Gonna Love You Better .. and it’s a part of his signature approach combining swinging jazz, rich R&B, sumptuous balladry, wailing rock, rumbling blues and even a touch of playful Brazilian .. He has played all over the...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Guitarist Andy Brown  .. He spent a childhood in New York City, spent some time in Cincinnati and ended up in Chicago back in 2003 – He learned directly from several guitar masters like Cal Collins, Ted Greene, and Howard Alden. He is now busy with his 2016 album Direct Call with his Quartet and has played big time cats like Howa...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist Greg Murphy  .. His musical adventures began in 1971 when he joined the Ray-Fisk Grammar School Band in Chicago and would lead him to his very latest 2016 album Summer Breeze .. One of his big moments came in 1984 when he got the National Endowment for the Arts opportunity to go to New Orleans and study with the eminent p...