Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with the very talented jazz vocalist Dessy Di Lauro and journeyman pianist/husband/collaborator Rickey Pageot .. These days, the husband/wife duo are collaborating on some quality mus ic incorporating elements from the ''Speak Easy Era'' with an added contemporary urban edge. The pair stay very busy, she is set to release her new EP in the...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Saxophonist Ernie Watts .. Over the years, he has toured with the Rolling Stones, recorded with Marvin Gaye, logged quality time with Buddy Rich and has played with countless jazz cats over the years .. For 20 years, he was a part of the Tonight Show Band with Johnny Carson under the direction of the great Doc Severinso...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Trumpeter, Composer, Arranger and Educator Wadada Leo Smith .. This journeyed jazz veteran has been all over the world creating cutting edge, avante garde music for decades. These days, he stays as busy as ever .. Over the course of our conversation, he spoke about his unique approach to teaching students, who has taugh...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Journeyman Trumpeter and Arranger David Weiss .. These days, he is consumed with performing in the Jazz supergroup The Cookers .. with legendary cats like Billy Harper, Cecil McBee, George Cables, Eddie Henderson, and Billy Hart .. Over the course of our conversation, he delved into his life in New York City, how he started out a...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary composer, arranger, and bassist Chuck Israels .. He’s well know for doing work with Bill Evans, along with John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz and many more .. He recounts tales of being in the middle of that jazz flux, having dinner at 12 with Louis Armstrong, growing up in a music rich...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary composer, arranger, and trumpeter Charles Tolliver .. Over the course of our conversation, he was very candid about his beginnings in 1963 with the great Jackie McClean .. and how that break led to bigger gigs with cats like Sonny Rollins  .. He told me who his jazz heroes are, why he loves jazz and much more .. Hosted by Si...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed bassist, bandleader, performer, music educator, and composer – along with being an actor .. Ben Williams .. Over the course of our conversation, he delved into a very busy schedule that is establishing him as one of the finest young artists in the world of jazz these days .. .. He discussed a role he had in his film film deb...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with talented jazz trumpeter and educator Clay Jenkins .. From Lubbock, Texas, Clay has gone on to see the world and jam with some of the biggest names in jazz every .. He got his first real break with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, then moved onto LA and got involved with the big bands of Harry James, Buddy Rich, and finally, the Count Basie...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with pianist and educator Dr. Michael Pagan .. These days, he is a very busy musician playing the piano nightly around KC, along with being at professor at Ottawa University in Ottawa, KS directing Bravo, the Ottawa University Jazz Singers and teaching jazz piano. He just released a new CD in August of 2015 called the Ottawa Sessions .. Fr...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Canadian tenor saxophonist and jazz veteran Cory Weeds .. Over the course of our conversation, he spoke passionately about a life he has dedicated to jazz .. For 14 years he ran the very successful Cellar jazz club in Vancouver and that filled the world with many tasty memories and gigs .. These days, he is busy as ever as a recording...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Chicago jazz saxophonist John “Wojo” Wojciechowski .. From the streets of Detroit and in Chicago these days he is busy promoting his new album Focus .. a direct inspiration from his greatest teacher .. his father. Over the course of our conversation, he talked about a great variety of things from his jazz heroes, to his plans, teachin...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City based Jazz Broadcaster Dr. Mike Pettengell .. For the the last 25 years, Dr. Mike has been a professor of English, Humanities and Fine Arts at Kansas City, KS Community College and for the last 19 years he has been on the radio spinning the ‘pure’ music in all its forms, - jazz, old-timey, world, country, or classical. The...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with the talented composer and clarinetist Ben Goldberg  .. He was born and raised in Denver, and has been in Brooklyn lately .. And in between both of those geographies, he has woven a very cool biography.. Over the course of our conversation,  he discussed his dreams, early gigs, awards he has received and many more surprises .. Hosted b...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with modern day jazz Saxophonist Jon Irabagon..  This is one busy jazz cat with a unique sound and story .. He’s got plenty of projects that are being released and just got a 4 star review his September 2015 release of Behind the Sky .. Over the course of our conversation, he talked about projects with Dave Douglas & Tom Harrell, along wit...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with very talented Canadian jazz trumpeter,  pianist and drummer Brad Turner.. Over the course of our conversation, this versatile and very in-demand cat talks about his unique jazz story from humble beginnings to a host of awards .. along with gigging with luminaries like Joe Lovano, Kenny Wheeler, John Scofield, Kenny Werner and Ernie Wa...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Canadian jazz guitarist Oliver Gannon .... Born in Dublin, Ireland, these days he calls Vancouver, Canada his home and he took some time to look back on a very rich, rewarding jazz career .. along the way he told me how he stopped being an Engineering Student to pursue jazz, cats he has played with over the years, traveling...

An Interview with Jazz Hammond B3 Musician Chris Hazelton of the Boogaloo 7 on his recording of a live LP at the Green Lady Lounge in Kansas City, MO on October 26 at 8 p.m. Featuring Chris Hazelton - Hammond B-3 Organ Nick Howell - Trumpet & Tambourine Nick Rowland - Alto & Tenor Sax Brett Jackson - Baritone Sax Matt Hopper - Guitar Danny Rojas - Drums Pat Conway - Congas Special Guest Tim Braun...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with KC Pianist/Composer/Teacher Matt Villinger .. He’s very new to the KC scene and he arrived here from St. Louis .. He just released a great new album called All Night and he’s very busy in the KC scene with many of the finest out there giving people all that live jazz .. Over the course of our conversation, we talked about his move, wh...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with modern day jazz pianist Dan Kaufman .. He was born in Berkely, California, raised in Chicago and has been in New York since 2001 .. He spoke with Neon Jazz about his time at the New England Conservatory learning under Fred Hersch and Danilo Perez, along with performing with cats like From Jimmy Heath, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBrid...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Canadian jazz saxophonist and educator Christine Jensen .. Over the course of our conversation, she talked about growing up in the same town that Diana Krall did, gigging with her sister – trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, what has been going on lately in a busy schedule, why she loves jazz, what her teaching philosophy is .. along with much m...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Saxophonist and Composer Caroline Davis .. Following the release of her much-praised 2012 debut, Live Work & Play, alto saxophonist and composer Caroline Davis relocated from Chicago to New York City and got to work on an ambitious project that had been germinating for seven years. To honor her eight-year residency in Chicago, she com...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Historian, Reviewer and Author Scott Yanow .. Originally from NYC .. he grew up in LA, he got hooked I first heard Dixieland in the Danny Kaye movie The Five Pennies .. His first record was The Very Best Of Al Hirt & Pete Fountain .. and from there he moved on into the real stuff with Charlie Parker and John Coltrane .....

Welcome to a Neon Jazz interview with Ryan McNulty of the NYC based Jazz Outfit called the Black Tie Brass ..  The group was formed by Ryan McNulty in 2013 fulla musicians that feed off each other’s energy to create rare musical performances night after night .. Their sound is a unique blend of jazz, funk, R&B, soul, and rock .. and this close nit bunch feeds off a huge well of music energy and ex...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with the talented Brooklyn Based Jazz Saxophonist Ochion Jewell .. He is one deep cat that comes from the beauty of Appalachian Kentucky and went on to grow in innumerable ways at Cal Arts under the teaching of Charlie Haden and Wadada Leo Smith .. Not only is he swayed and involved in jazz, but swims through a plethora of music styles .....

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Drumer & Educator Michael Carvin .. Over the course of our conversation, he spoke about how his father taught him the greatest lessons in life .. like waiting to learn how to play the drums properly before you do it .. and it paid off .. By 12, he was playing professionally winning five consecutive Texas rudimental cham...