Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist Bill Cunliff ..  He just released 2017’s Bachanalia and it’s a great listen .. He was born and raised Andover, MA then moved on to LA - He began his career as pianist and arranger with the Buddy Rich Big Band and worked with Frank Sinatra, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson and James Moody. He has established himself as a solo artist and bandleader, with more than a dozen albums under his name. He’s a busy musician and teacher with great tales ..

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz French Horn Player Ken Wiley .. He is promoting his new projects .. Urban Horn & Horn Redux  - He was born in Kansas City and raised in St. Joseph, Missouri .. From there, he went to Los Angeles with limited funds and has made it .. over the years, he’s played at the Playboy Jazz Festival, LA Jazz Society, UCLA Jazz Concert Series and on shows like Family Guy, The Cleveland Show and American Dad – he’s even does some work with cats like Lenny Kravitz.. He is a very happy musician that did it the right way ..

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Saxophonist Jimmy Greene .. He’s on the heels of his 2017 CD Beautiful Life Volum 2 .. a follow up to Volume 1 that is in honor of his daughter Ana that lost her life in the tragic Sandy Hook School Shooting .. He grew up in Hartford, CT and has gone on to perform all over the world .. his Jimmy Greene Quartet performs regularly in jazz venues, festivals and clubs – he’s been on on 75 albums as a sideman, and has toured and/or recorded with Horace Silver, Tom Harrell, Freddie Hubbard, Harry Connick, Jr., Kenny Barron – and these days he’s an Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury – He talks music, healing, the future and so much more ..

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist and Composer Sullivan Fornter .. He is gearing up for a Kansas City visit as a part of the Charlie Parker Celebration August 17-29, 2017 and he’s ready .. Along with his upcoming visit, he had much to talk about his hometown of New Orleans, his current home of New York City, his life in jazz and much more ..

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Musician and Kansas Poet Laureate Kevin Rabas .. He talked with us about his latest volume of Poetry .. All that Jazz .. and spoke about a great many things .. like how he became the current Poet Laureate of Kansas, his career in jazz, the KC jazz scene, being a writer and a creative spirit ..

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Chicago Jazz Double Bassist, Composer and Arranger Joe Palicastro   – He  grew up in the fertile jazz, classical, and popular music scene of Cincinnati, OH and studied Classical Double Bass Performance on full scholarship at Miami University. These days he leads the Joe Policastro Trio and the group has two albums featuring his writing, arranging, and performing – They are releaseing a new 2017 CD Screen Sounds and hitting the road to promote it .. That will include a swing through Kansas City’s best jazz joint .. The Green Lady Lounge at 6 on July 30, 2017 –

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Saxophonist Claire Daly  –  She spent her childhood in Yonkers, NY and saw so many live shows .. legendary ones .. with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Benny Goodman and more  - the the first time she played a baritone sax her life changed .. and she began a very long and interesting jazz path that has forged many musical relationships .. like a lifetime collaboration with pianist/composer Joel Forrester (composer of the theme for "Fresh Air" w Terry Gross on NPR)  .. She is on the heels of releasing 2017’s 2648 West Grand Boulevard: Jazz Interpretations of Classic Motown 45's album ...

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Jazz Institution Gerald Dunn  .. He is a veritable institution in Kansas City and his roots began in Texas listening to gospel albums .. He would go on to gig very much in the church and move on to see the world and some very bright lights with the Illinois Jacquet outfit .. He is now the head of the Blue Room .. he is also a musician, radio host and so much more in this thriving KC scene ..

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti  .. He was born in Lugano, Switzerland and is the son of Flavio Ambrosetti, alto-saxophonist, bandleader and BeBop pioneer in the European jazz scene in the 1940’s – He went to the University of Zurich, then moved to Basel where he eventually earned a master degree in Economics – In 1967 he had his American debut at the Monterey Jazz Festival with his father’s quintet – and for over three decades he juggled between an intense professional activity in the music field and his role as executive in the family business. He’s a very interesting man ..

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist & Composer Randy Ingram  .. He just released 2017s The Wandering – and this cat was born in Anchorage, Alaska and grew up in Southern California –He parlayed his high school trio experience into scholarships at the University of Southern California, where he received his Bachelor’s degree for Jazz Performance, and The New England Conservatory (NEC), where he received his Master’s degree in Jazz Performance – He received an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer’s Award and has gone on to tour Europe as a bandleader many times and has performed throughout Europe and Japan as a sideman.