Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with musician, comedian and theoretical physicist Brian Wecht, better known to smooth jazz fans as Trey Magnifique. We caught up with Trey on the road for a deep dive into his remarkable journey through music and entertainment, his lifelong appreciation for jazz, and his 2026 album, Bebop Cowboy.

Many fans know Brian Wecht as “Ninja Brian” from the comedy music groups Ninja Sex Party and Starbomb. But as Trey Magnifique, he brings a different side of his musical personality to the forefront, embracing the smooth sounds, instrumental sophistication and musicianship of jazz.

His sophomore release, Bebop Cowboy, follows his debut album, Mature Situations, continuing his exploration of smooth jazz while celebrating the genre and the musicians who inspired him. In this conversation, we get into the new record, his creative evolution, his life in music and entertainment, and the story behind this distinctive jazz alter ego.

From comedy-rock fame to polished instrumental jazz, Trey Magnifique has carved out a musical lane all his own. Dig into the whole ride with us!

Featuring: Trey Magnifique (Brian Wecht)
2026 Album: Bebop Cowboy
Previous Album: Mature Situations
Known For: Ninja Brian, Ninja Sex Party, Starbomb
Topics: Smooth Jazz, Instrumental Jazz, Jazz Musicianship, Comedy Music, Music Production, Brian Wecht, Trey Magnifique and New Jazz Releases.

Get the music — Trey Magnifique on Bandcamp:
https://treymagnifique.bandcamp.com/

Enjoy this interview on Neon Jazz with Joe Dimino. Dig the jazz, my friends! 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with jazz singer Lisa Rich talking about her powerful 2026 album I Still Rise. The last time Lisa joined us was in 2024 with the release of Long As You're Living, a remarkable comeback following 33 years of forced inactivity due to serious health problems. When she returned, her voice was in prime form, resulting in one of the standout vocal jazz albums of the year.

Now, I Still Rise fully confirms Lisa Rich's return to the jazz scene.

For this new project, Lisa reunites with the three musicians who joined her on Long As You're Living: pianist Marc Copland, bassist Drew Gress, and trumpeter Dave Ballou. Together, they create another deeply expressive chapter in Lisa's remarkable musical journey.

In this conversation, we get into I Still Rise, Lisa's return to music, the creative partnership behind the album, America today, jazz as a unifying language, resilience, the power of the human voice, and much more.

It's great to have Lisa back on Neon Jazz.

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with dynamic New York-based jazz duo Zohar & Adam. One of the most highly anticipated young acts in the jazz scene, Zohar & Adam blend virtuosic musicianship with elements of neo-soul, hip-hop, electronica, jazz, and beyond. In this conversation, we get into their musical history, their creative partnership, and their exciting new 2026 album Osmosis.

Zohar Cabo, a 19-year-old keyboardist and pianist from Beacon, New York, has been surrounded by musical influences since birth. Adam Cabo, a 21-year-old drummer, percussionist, and producer from Beacon, NY, has been working professionally as a musician since the age of 10.

Together, they represent a fresh generation of musicians pushing jazz in new directions while maintaining a deep foundation in musicianship, improvisation, rhythm, and groove.

We cover their early musical lives, the evolution of Zohar & Adam, Osmosis, their genre-blending sound, the modern jazz scene, and what comes next for this exciting young duo.

More on Zohar & Adam:
zoharandadam.com 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with jazz bassist Dan Loomis of the Joel Frahm Trio talking 2026 music, albums, touring, and the story behind this stellar trio.

Dan Loomis joins us to talk about the history and evolution of the Joel Frahm Trio, featuring Joel Frahm on tenor saxophone, Dan Loomis on bass, and Ernesto Cervini on drums.

The trio has released two acclaimed albums: 2021’s The Bright Side and 2024’s Lumination. Now they are preparing to hit the road for a Fall 2026 tour with stops across Missouri and California.

October 15 — University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO
October 16 — Tom's Town, Kansas City, MO
October 18 — We Always Swing, Columbia, MO
October 20 — San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
October 21 — San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
October 23 — Sam First, Los Angeles, CA

We get into the trio's history, their albums, their unique musical chemistry, touring, life as a working jazz musician, and what is ahead for the Joel Frahm Trio in 2026.

Great to have Dan Loomis back on the show.

Enjoy this interview.

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with NYC-based jazz tenor saxophonist Andrew Rathbun on his 2026 album Episodes. For Episodes, Rathbun teams up with pianist Gary Versace, his longtime collaborator on several acclaimed SteepleChase sessions, for the first time as a duo. The result reveals a striking new dimension in their musical partnership.

The interplay between Rathbun and Versace is vivid, spontaneous, and deeply attuned. Versace favors linear, wriggling motion over conventional harmonic cushions, while Rathbun’s tenor saxophone improvisations unfold with narrative clarity, balancing modern jazz language with melodic focus. Together, they push into unfamiliar territory, creating music that feels exploratory, intimate, quietly daring, and completely alive.

In this Neon Jazz conversation, we dig into Episodes, the creative relationship between Andrew Rathbun and Gary Versace, improvisation, contemporary jazz, the New York jazz scene, and the ideas behind this inspired new duo recording.

Andrew Rathbun has been a regular around these parts, and it’s always a pleasure to dig into his music and creative journey.

🎧 Listen to Andrew Rathbun & Gary Versace – Episodes:
Listen to Episodes on Spotify 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Drummer Robert Jospé. On this episode, we get into his new 2026 album, The Night Sky, and a decorated career in the world of jazz.

Born in Manhattan to Belgian parents with a deep love of music, Robert began playing drums at fourteen and had his first professional performance in France at just sixteen. He went on to study with legendary drummers Tony Williams and Bob Moses, developing a career that has taken him across the worlds of jazz performance, recording and education.

Over the years, Robert Jospé has performed and recorded with an extraordinary group of artists, including Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Cyrus Chestnut, Emily Remler, Stanley Jordan and Joe Henderson.

In this conversation, we explore The Night Sky, Robert's early musical journey, studying with Tony Williams and Bob Moses, decades of gigs and recordings, teaching, improvisation, collaboration and the life of a working jazz drummer.

It's a deep dive into the music, experiences and stories behind a remarkable jazz career.

Dig this interview.

Get The Night Sky and more from Robert Jospé:
Robert Jospé – The Night Sky

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Kansas City-based jazz trumpeter and composer Nick Hmeljak. Nick is preparing to release his upcoming 2026 album, Alive, with his band Open Channel — a Kansas City collective he formed in 2024 to explore original music and standards through the wide-open lens of jazz, R&B and rock.

With a rotating lineup featuring vibraphone, guitar, synths, trumpet, bass and drums, Open Channel is constantly shifting textures, instrumentation and group dynamics to create something fresh every time they hit the stage.

A Charlotte Street Resident, Nick has become an active part of the Kansas City music scene, performing not only as a jazz trumpeter and composer, but also as a sideman in R&B, Cumbia, musical theater and party bands. He also shares his knowledge through masterclasses, clinics and private lessons with local high school music programs.

In this conversation, we get into the story behind Alive, the formation and evolution of Open Channel, Nick's life in Kansas City jazz, his work across different musical worlds, education, performance and the creative journey that continues to shape his sound.

It's a conversation about Kansas City jazz, jazz trumpet, original music, improvisation, Open Channel, R&B, composition, music education and the next generation of jazz artists.

More Nick Hmeljak & get the music:

Nick Hmeljak Official Website

Nick Hmeljak Music – HearNow

Nick Hmeljak on Instagram

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with jazz musician, composer, educator and founder of Creative Sound Play, Hayes Greenfield. We dig into his third release for Sunnyside Records, Painting in Sound, and the fascinating journey that has taken Hayes through the worlds of jazz, composition, education, improvisation and electroacoustic music.

With Painting in Sound, Hayes Greenfield expands the possibilities of what jazz — and binaural, spatially immersive music — can be. Drawing on decades of experience in traditional jazz and improvisation, he creates a deeply exploratory recording where sound becomes something you don't simply hear, but experience.

The project blurs the boundary between performance and environment, creating an intimate sonic space where every gesture, texture and movement feels alive. Architecturally precise yet emotionally resonant, Painting in Sound offers a fresh perspective on the recorded jazz experience and pushes the music into bold new perceptual dimensions.

In this wide-ranging Neon Jazz conversation, we explore the making of Painting in Sound, Hayes' evolution as a musician and composer, his work as an educator, the philosophy behind Creative Sound Play, electroacoustic music, immersive listening, improvisation and the many chapters of his remarkable musical journey.

It's a conversation about sound, creativity, education and what happens when an artist starts asking us to experience jazz in an entirely different way.

🎧 Get Painting in Sound:
https://sunnysiderecords.bandcamp.com/album/painting-in-sound

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Armen Donelian, discussing his remarkable 2026 album Inquiry. With Inquiry, Donelian takes another bold creative step on his 15th album, released by Sunnyside Records. The project is the result of a four-year studio process that was carefully conceived, patiently developed and painstakingly executed — ultimately becoming one of the most distinctive and introspective recordings of his long career.

The story behind the album is just as fascinating as the music.

Inquiry began as a series of unaccompanied demo recordings featuring Donelian's newest compositions and arrangements. From that stripped-down beginning, the project continued to evolve, transforming into a haunting and deeply reflective work with little precedent in his extensive body of music.

In this wide-ranging Neon Jazz conversation, we get into the making of Inquiry, the evolution of the project from its original demos, Donelian's creative process, composition, arranging, recording and the many ideas that shaped this extraordinary new chapter.

It's a conversation about patience, experimentation, artistic evolution and what can happen when a musician gives an idea the time and space it needs to become something much larger.

🎹 Get Armen Donelian's Inquiry:
https://armendonelian.bandcamp.com/album/inquiry 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with GRAMMY-winning Engineer & Producer Jim Anderson and Distinguished Trombonist, Composer & Educator Jim Pugh on New American Symphonies. We get into their work on this remarkable project, which reunites two old friends and brings a long-abandoned piece of American musical history back to life.

New American Symphonies features the first-ever recording of Roy Harris's long-lost Trombone Symphony, a major work written for legendary trombonist and bandleader Tommy Dorsey in 1938. The piece was abandoned after a single rehearsal and remained unheard for nearly 90 years.

Decades later, Jim Pugh discovered the missing work in the Library of Congress and reconstructed the score for this recording, giving Roy Harris's Trombone Symphony a new life through a remarkable modern recording.

Jim Anderson brings his extraordinary experience as a GRAMMY-winning engineer and producer to the project, while Pugh's decades as a trombonist, composer and educator provide a unique connection to the music. Pugh's career includes more than 4,000 recording sessions with artists including Steely Dan, Yo-Yo Ma, Philip Glass, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd and Frank Sinatra.

In this conversation, we explore the story behind New American Symphonies, Roy Harris, Tommy Dorsey, the discovery and reconstruction of the Trombone Symphony, recording technology, orchestral music, jazz, trombone and the extraordinary process of bringing forgotten American music back into the world.

We cover the whole project and so much more.

Enjoy this interview.

Listen to New American Symphonies:

Listen to the album 

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