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 music from his crib .. So, he’s always had a music brain .. In the professional world, he got a lot of experience being in Ahmad Jamal’s band and Wynton Marsalis’ band .. He’s also gigged with the likes of Dr. John, Harry Connick, George Benson and many others .. He’s also a teacher and loves giving students his wisdom .. Herlin has a great story ..