Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Pianist, Composer and Educator Cyrus Chestnut  .. His musical roots began with playing piano at the Mount Calvary Star Baptist Church at the age of five in his hometown of Baltimore, MD. From there, he would move on to Boston for the Berklee College of Music and would go on to dedicate his life to jazz .. honing his craft as a sideman with some of the legendary and leading musicians like Michael Carvin, Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, Betty Carter and Dizzy Gillespie .. He just released his newest CD – 2018’s Kaleidoscope ..

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City Jazz Saxophonist Ernest Melton .. He talked about his latest 2018 CD The Time of the Slave is Over .. This local busy musician was born in Goldsboro, NC and would relocate Kansas City at 10 - He picked up the sax that same year when he was enrolled in Longfellow Academy joined his first jazz program through the American Jazz Museum. After being accepted into Berklee College of Music he decided not to go and started his career playing music in bands of every genre around Kansas City. While still in his early 20s Ernest has played all over the country and plans to travel abroad. He’s got plenty to say ..

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Drummer & Radio Host Sam Wisman  .. This busy jazz cat is a member of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and gigs all over town .. He’s also known as the “Jazz Insider” on KKFI 90.1 FM with a weekly jazz radio show .. He also teaches private drum lessons and enjoys playing the piano and guitar. Sam is the son of a classical musician right outta Topeka, Kansas who fell in love with jazz listening to the radio at age 13 ..  He moved to Kansas City in 2001 to study at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and has been  fixture on the KC jazz scene every since ..

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Modern Day NYC Jazz Pianist Andy Milne .. He delved into his latest 2018 CD The Seasons of Being showcasing a 10-piece ensemble featuring Dapp Theory .. He’s a former student of Oscar Peterson and was at the center of the M-BASE Collective as a core member of saxophonist Steve Coleman’s bands, as well as performing with Cassandra Wilson and Greg Osby. He’s a fearless, versatile explorer, pianist and composer with a distinct and respected voice at the heart of New York’s creative jazz scene for over 20 years, collaborating with dancers, visual artists, poets and musicians spanning jazz, classical, pop, folk, and world music.

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Modern Jazz Pianist Christian Sands .. This very talented cat talked about his latest 2018 CD Facing Dragons ..  He grew up in New Haven, Connecticut and started playing the piano very early on and would go on to get mentored by pianist Billy Taylor - In the last few years he has toured around the world as a bandleader and recently appeared as a sideman on records by Christian McBride and Gregory Porter. He’s always around talent .. always busy and has a solid voice in the jazz world ..

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with International Jazz Pianist Roberto Magris .. He opened up about his newest 2018 CD World Gardens featuring Kansas City jazz talent like  Dominique Sanders and Brian Steever .. He opened up about growing up in Italy and his ties to Kansas City – working with JMood Records and being honored by the City Council of Kansas City for his contribution to jazz music and performance at the American Jazz Museum .. Over his career, he has 31 recordings to his credit and has toured in over 42 different countries .. He’s a gem from his home in Europe and called Kansas City his other home .. So, get to know him and dig this interview my friends ..

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Saxophonist Ron Aprea  .. He grew up in Astoria, NY - got his own alto saxophone at age 16 and started taking lessons in a studio across the street from Radio City Music Hall – being so close to New York he got the best education in the world going to the famed Birdland seeing the likes of Count Basie and Blakey’s Jazz Messengers – His latest 2015 CD Pays Tribute to John Lennon and the Beatles – and it’s an ode to spending some time in the studio years ago with his friend John Lennon .. He’s jammed with legends like Woody Herman, Tito Puente, Billy May, Skitch Henderson and Lionel Hampton over the years and has the stories to back it up ..

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Drummer Donald Edwards  .. He grew up in Louisiana and studied music at Southern University in Baton Rouge where he met and was highly swayed by renowned teacher Alvin Batiste – These days he is promoting his 2016 CD Prelude to Real Life and has spent the years learning and gigging with the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Tom Harrell, Carmen Lundy,  Branford Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Orrin Evans, Joey Calderazzo – and so many more .. He’s in New York these days and continues to give his time to help teach young aspiring percussionist in schools -

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Veteran Jazz Saxophonist & Clarinetist David Murray  ..  While on tour in Montreal, he opened up about his life .. growing up in Oakland – and then arriving in New York as a 20 year-old student back in 1975 – And things have been on the up every since .. Amongst so many things, he is a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet and is contributing to the rise of young talents like  Lafeyette Gilchrist – He’s got a great future ahead of him with much more music to come ..

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Modern Jazz Trumpeter Jonathon Finlayson  .. Born and raised in Oakland, CA – He just released 2016’s Moving Still and talked about it at some length .. Early on he came under the tutelage of Bay Area legend Robert Porter and studied at the New School for Jazz with Eddie Henderson, Jimmy Owens and Cecil Bridgewater – Then went on to spend a lot o time with the great Steve Coleman and playing with the finest in the world of jazz .. He has quite a few truisms and thoughts on his jazz journey that are illuminating.

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