Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Vibraphonist Chuck Redd .. He opened up about his latest 2019 CD Groove City with a stellar group of musicians, playing a variety of deep grooves ranging from hard swinging to bossa nova and the blues. He started recording and touring the globe when he joined the Charlie Byrd Trio at the age of 21. He also performed in a...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Drummer Alvin Queen… From his home base in Switzerland, he opened up about this 2019 CD Op - a Tribute to Oscar Peterson and talked about his experiences with the genius jazz pianist .. So, he was born in the Bronx, raised in Mt. Vernon and as a kid .. he loved playing ball .. and one of those kids on the infamous Fourt...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Miami-based 13- Year Old Jazz Piano Prodigy Brandon Goldberg.. He just released his debut album, Let's Play!, is a refined gift, sculpted by years in the woodshed, inspired by pianists recognized by one name, Monk, McCoy, Chick, Bud and others featuring veteran players Ben Wolfe, Donald Edwards and special guest Marcus Strickland. He...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Jazz Bassist Ben Leifer .. He was born in Topeka, KS to a musical family amd stated his study of music early in life and began playing the electric bass at age 14 and eventually picked up the upright bass at age 17. That led him to study bass and composition at the UMKC conservatory of music under the tutelage of Bobby Wat...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City-born, New York-based Jazz Musician and Educator Drew Williams .. He spoke at length about his 2019 CD Hazel with the Wing Walker Orchestra .. Born in Lee's Summit, Missouri – It was at 15 that he knew he wanted to pursue music as a career. Ben Allison's Little Things Run the World CD helped win him over to jazz. He would m...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Guitarist Doug MacDonald .. We spoke to him about his newest 2019 CD called Organisms with the Doug MacDonald Quartet featuring Doug on Guitar, Bob Sheppard on Tenor Saxophone, Carey Frank on the B3 Organ and Ben Scholz on Drums – He’s originally from Philadelphia and began his career in Hawaii playing at the Royal Hawaii...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Pianist, Composer & Educator Ran Blake ..His style is quite unique  -combining blues, gospel, classical, and film noir influences into an innovative and dark jazz sound. His career includes over 40+ recording credits on jazz albums along with more than Four Plus Decades  of teaching jazz at the New England Conservat...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Cuban-born Jazz Pianist Dayramir Gonzalez  .. He was born and raised in Havana, Cuba and came into his own as a New York City based artist/composer with his 2018 U.S. debut “THE GRAND CONCOURSE”  This new cat on the scene has been hailed for his ‘monster technique’ and prolific creative range which melds rock, pop, jazz and Afro-Cuban...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Singer Stacey Kent .. She is a jazz singer in the mould of the greats, with a legion of fans worldwide, a host of honors and awards including a Grammy nomination, album sales in excess of 2 million, Gold, Double-Gold and Platinum-selling albums that have reached a series of No. 1 chart positions during the span of her career. Her...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Nethrelands-based Jazz Bassist, Composer & Educator Joris Teepe .. Arriving in New York in 1992 with just his bass and a suitcase, he took lessons with Ron Carter, quickly met many musicians and started to work a lot. A year later he recorded his first CD .. He talked about this and his new 2019 CD and Book called In the Spirit of...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Detroit-native, Veteran Jazz Composer, electric and acoustic bassist, educator, recording artist, and business man Robert Hurst ..  We caught up with him about his newest 2018 CD Black Current Jam and growing up in Detroit  .. Over the years, he has been on tours and recordings with the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Charles Lloyd, Wynt...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Canadian Jazz Saxophonist, Composer and Producer Johnny Griffith .. He is a multi-Juno Award nominated musician who has played and recorded with many artists over his career .. like Don Thompson, Jeremy Pelt, Ernesto Cervini’s Tune Town, Charlie Hunter, and so many others .. He got a lot of exposure early on as a member of the popular...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Jazz Singer, Songwriter, Flautist and Motivational Speaker Bukeka Blakemore .. She opened up with Neon Jazz about a great many things going on in her busy life .. She was born with the name Gretchen Elizabeth and at 6 she chose the name Bukeka - It means “adorned one” in the Xhosa language spoken in South Africa. In 2000 s...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist James Framcies .. He was encouraged by his parents to learn and reveled in the rich Houstonian culture exploring the arts and gaining early exposure to music in church and through formal lessons at age 5. While assimilating the contemporary music of his peers, he also developed a distinct interest in jazz. At 22, he keeps...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Drummer & Educator Ralph Peterson  .. He talked about his latest CD’s released in 2018 and what’s coming up in 2019 .. from both the studio and the road .. This cat from Pleasantville, NJ has enjoyed a very prolific recording career that began in 1985 with the fabled Blue Note label – with the house band, OTB (Out of...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Kansas City Jazz Musician, Trumpeter & Flugelhornist Pete Carroll .. We caught up with him to talk about his very storied career in jazz .. From work on his latest 2020 collaboration with the Freedom Affair on the CD Freedom is Love to being the lead trumpeter for the reverend Al Green .. After a few seasons touring, he re...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Bassist and Composer Martin Wind ... We talked to him in Mid-June 2020 about his latest 2020 CD White Noise and a wonderful career he has had in music .. He was born in Germany and moved to New York in 1996 to study at New York University .. That led to studies and performances with the masters of the craft .. He explains .. .. Enjoy...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Liverpool-born, Australian Jazz Saxophonist & Composer Ken Stubbs .. We talked in the Fall of 2020 during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic about quite a bit .. Like his latest 2019 CD Big Hush .. He became involved with music after being ‘reborn’, after a near death experience. He was 14. It involved a Football ‘Special’ Train, hun...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Kansas City Jazz Saxophonist Bill Crain .. We interviewed him on September 16, 2020 as the backdrop of COVID-19 roared on .. He talked about his debut 2020 CD Self Titled on the KC ARC label ..  He is the director of The Institute of Audio Engineering Arts (IAEA) program, recording engineer and managing member of BRC Audio Pro...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Actor, Minister Jazz Singer & Songwriter Clifton Davis .. We spoke with him during November 2020 amidst the COVID-19 lockdown about his latest 2020 CD Never Can Say Goodbye with Beegie Adair .. He has had quite a career in the entertainment industry and was made famous by The Jackson 5 and has been recorded by dozens of other arti...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Legendary Jazz Musician and Composer Eddie Daniels  .. Prior to the 2020 Election in the COVID-19 pandemic world we talked to him about his latest 2020 CD Night Kisses featuring Dave Grusin and Bob James that came out on Resonance Records. This new album comes off the heels of 2018’s Grammy-nominated album, Heart of Brazil .. He was b...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with New Orleans-based Grammy Award Winning Jazz Artist, Composer, Educator & Producer Adonis Rose .. We spoke with him about quite a bit .. like his latest 2020 CD Piece of Mind – It is Rose’s first released live album. While it was recorded in the late Spring of 2019, he feels the project is being released at a pivotal time amidst to...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Bassist & Composer Eric Revis .. We spoke with him on August 27, 2020 during uncertain COVID-19 times about quite a bit .. Like his latest 2020 CD Slipknots Through a Looking Glass .. It is his eighth solo-led album, and first release on Pyroclastic Records — exploring new territory. He is one of the most talented and accompl...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Arts Advocate, Jazz Historian, Archivist, Scholar, Manager & Producer Maxine Gordon ... We caught up with her from her New York home on December 3, 2020 to talk life during this strange COVID-19 world of ours .. She was in Kansas City back in mid-March with Deborah Brown promoting her book on her legendary late husband Dexter Gord...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Trumpeter Derrick Gardner  .. We caught up with him on July 13, 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown to talk about his latest 2020 CD Still I Rise ..  He was inspired by the finest hard-blowing funky bop bands of the 1960‟s and made his mark upon arriving on the New York jazz scene in 1991. Over the last 18 years, he has worked with...