Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Brooklyn-based jazz saxophonist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Barry. We dig into his compelling new 2026 album If I Did Not Speak Out and the artistic world behind it. This is an album that captures Ryan at a defining moment — bringing together lyrical tenor saxophone playing, original compositions and a close-working quintet for a concise statement filled with warmth, reflection and conviction.

Ryan's music draws from the language of modern jazz while maintaining a deeply lyrical and contemporary voice. His connection to improvisation began early, eventually leading him to discover jazz while performing in his university big band. That experience helped set the course for a career built around composition, collaboration, exploration and the constant pursuit of a distinctive musical voice.

In this wide-ranging Neon Jazz conversation, we talk about If I Did Not Speak Out, Ryan's development as a saxophonist and composer, his approach to improvisation, the chemistry of his quintet, the Brooklyn jazz scene, his multi-instrumental work and the experiences that have shaped his music.

It's a conversation about finding your voice, trusting your artistic instincts and creating music that has something meaningful to say.

Dig into the music. Dig into the story. And dig the jazz, my friends.

🎷 Get If I Did Not Speak Out:
https://ryanbarryjazz.bandcamp.com/

🌐 More Ryan Barry:
https://ryanbarrymusic.com/
https://ryanbarryjazz.eventbrite.com/

📸 Instagram: @rbarrymusic

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed jazz trombonist and composer Ryan Keberle, discussing his new 2026 album Here Is Donato!. We first caught up with Ryan back in 2020, and now we're back together to explore his latest project, a flurry of activity in his musical world, and his ongoing connection to Brazilian music.

Alongside his São Paulo-based band Collectiv do Brasil, Keberle celebrates the music of legendary Brazilian composer and pianist João Donato, one of the most influential voices in Brazilian music. The project brings together the improvisational freedom of modern jazz with the rhythmic and melodic richness of MPB (música popular brasileira), creating a sound filled with warmth, lyricism, rhythmic subtlety and collective interplay.

Here Is Donato! is a vibrant exploration of Donato's enduring music, viewed through the distinctive lens of Ryan Keberle and Collectiv do Brasil. The result is a fresh meeting point between Brazilian music, jazz improvisation, contemporary composition and ensemble creativity.

In this wide-ranging Neon Jazz conversation, we get into the making of Here Is Donato!, the music of João Donato, Ryan's work with Collectiv do Brasil, the relationship between jazz and MPB, his evolution as an artist, his connection to Brazil and plenty more.

Ryan will also celebrate the album with a CD release show at Smalls Jazz Club in New York City on November 11, 2026.

🎺 Get Here Is Donato!:
https://ryankeberle.bandcamp.com/album/here-is-donato

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with NYC-based Swedish jazz artist, composer, vocalist, and visual artist Sophie Dunér. In this conversation, Sophie Dunér joins us to talk about her bold and fearless new collaborative project with legendary New York pianist Anthony Coleman, Messed-Up Stride. We get into the making of this exciting new album, Sophie's history in music and the arts, her visual artwork, collaboration, creativity, and so much more.

Sophie Dunér and Anthony Coleman will perform their first concert together on October 1, 2026 at ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, featuring a special film presentation of Sophie's visual artwork. Messed-Up Stride will be officially released on November 11, 2026.

Their second ShapeShifter Lab concert on November 5, 2026 will celebrate the forthcoming album release and feature a full exhibition of Sophie's visual artwork.

This is a fascinating conversation about jazz, experimental music, visual art, collaboration, New York City, and the fearless creative spirit behind Messed-Up Stride.

Dig this interview with Sophie Dunér and enjoy the conversation.

🎷 Sophie Dunér & Anthony Coleman – Messed-Up Stride
📍 ShapeShifter Lab, Brooklyn, NYC
📅 October 1, 2026 – First Concert
📅 November 5, 2026 – Album Celebration & Visual Art Exhibition
💿 Messed-Up Stride – Official Release: November 11, 2026

🎟️ Tickets, music & more: Sophie Dunér & Anthony Coleman – ShapeShifter Lab 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Ohio-based in-demand jazz hornist, composer and educator Will Schneider. On this episode, we dig into his new 2026 album Convergence and the fascinating career trajectory that brought him to this point. Will has built a reputation as a versatile and highly respected voice in the horn community, performing modern jazz as both a bandleader and sideman while developing a distinctive identity as a composer and educator.

Based in Toledo, Ohio, Will has also become an important fixture in the local music community, helping keep the city's jazz culture active and vibrant. That includes his involvement with a jam session currently hosted at The Golden Road, connecting musicians and creating space for the next generation of players to develop their craft.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore Convergence, Will's evolution as a musician, his work in contemporary jazz, performing and composing, the horn community, Toledo's music scene, jam sessions, education and the many paths that have shaped his career.

There's plenty to dig into here — music, community, creativity and the life of a working jazz musician in 2026.

Enjoy the interview — and dig the jazz, my friends!

🎺 Get Will Schneider's Convergence:
https://www.willschneidermusic.com/convergence

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed Luxembourg-based jazz pianist Michel Reis. In this wide-ranging conversation, we dive into the 2026 album from Reis Demuth Wiltgen, the renowned Luxembourg jazz trio featuring pianist Michel Reis, bassist Marc Demuth and drummer Paul Wiltgen. This latest project represents the most ambitious musical statement the trio has created across their nearly three-decade history together.

The story of Reis Demuth Wiltgen is a fascinating one. Michel Reis, Marc Demuth and Paul Wiltgen first formed the trio in 1998 while still in high school, performing around Luxembourg before eventually going their separate ways. More than a decade later, they reunited in 2011, bringing with them greater experience, perspective and a deeper musical vocabulary.

Since then, Michel Reis has developed into an internationally acclaimed jazz artist, performing at some of the world's most respected venues and festivals and establishing himself as an important voice in contemporary European jazz.

In this Neon Jazz interview, we talk about the new 2026 Reis Demuth Wiltgen album, the trio's extraordinary journey from teenage musicians to an internationally recognized jazz ensemble, Michel's career, his evolution as a pianist and composer, Luxembourg's jazz scene, and much more.

If you're a fan of Michel Reis, Reis Demuth Wiltgen, European jazz, Luxembourg jazz, contemporary jazz, jazz piano, jazz trios and independent jazz, dig into this conversation.

🎹 More Michel Reis: https://michelreis.com/ 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Arranger, Orchestrator & Bandleader Russ Anixter on his 2026 project What’s Next? On this new release, Russ Anixter’s Hippie Big Band transforms familiar rock, funk, fusion and jam-band repertoire into something entirely new — music driven by orchestration, groove, humor and improvisation.

Rather than simply recreate the originals, the ensemble treats each song as raw material for reimagination. Big-band arranging meets the spirit of rock and jam music, creating a sound that is unmistakably Anixter while still honoring the essence of the music that inspired it.

In this conversation, Russ and Joe dig into What’s Next?, the creative process behind the Hippie Big Band, arranging familiar music for a large ensemble, improvisation, groove, humor, the relationship between jazz and other musical worlds, living and creating in modern times, and so much more.

It's a fascinating return to Neon Jazz with an artist who continues to find new ways to bring orchestration, freedom and fun together.

Get the album: Russ Anixter – What’s Next? 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Germany-based Jazz Pianist & Composer Andrew Moorhead. Dig this fascinating conversation as we explore his new 2026 album Mirage, his journey through jazz and beyond, and the unique intersection of music, physics, discipline, improvisation, and creative risk that shapes his work.

Mirage is a strikingly personal suite of etudes — music born from inquiry, discipline, experimentation, and a willingness to step into the unknown. Across the album, Moorhead explores phased time signatures, interlocking melodic cycles, and that elusive space between muscle memory and pure spontaneity.

Born in Houston, Moorhead studied piano and physics at the University of Texas. During his university years and after graduating in 2006, he became an active musician in Austin, immersing himself in a multifaceted music scene that offered opportunities to develop through jazz, metal, R&B, and other musical worlds.

Now based in Germany, Moorhead continues to explore what happens when complex ideas, deep musical study, and improvisational freedom collide.

In this conversation, we get into Mirage, his unusual musical philosophy, the relationship between physics and music, his Austin years, jazz piano, composition, experimentation, and the fascinating story behind his career.

Get Andrew Moorhead's Mirage: Origin Arts – Mirage 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Japanese-born, New York-based flutist & improviser Haruna Fukazawa. Dig this interview as we get into her brilliant new 2026 album, Plays at the Wrong Time, her journey through the world of jazz, and the creative philosophy behind bringing the flute forward as a complete jazz voice.

Clear, swinging, lyrical, and rhythmically playful, Plays at the Wrong Time turns “wrong time” into a creative principle — embracing surprise, wit, freedom, and the unexpected. Fukazawa brings together original music and fresh interpretations of familiar repertoire while drawing on both her classical discipline and the improvisational spirit that has shaped her artistry.

Her journey began as a classical flutist before she discovered a deeper creative home in jazz. A major influence along the way was legendary saxophonist and flutist Frank Wess, whose mentorship and encouragement helped bring Fukazawa to New York City and strengthened her belief in the flute as a complete improvising voice.

In this conversation, we explore her new album, her musical evolution, the influence of Frank Wess, the possibilities of the jazz flute, improvisation, creativity, and what it means to embrace the unexpected.

Listen to Plays at the Wrong Time: Apple Music

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Pittsburgh, PA-based Guitarist Ken Karsh. Ken began playing guitar at age 9 and has spent a lifetime immersed in music, performance, and music education. After attending Berklee College of Music, he earned both a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degree in performance and went on to build an incredibly diverse career across jazz, theater, film, recording, and education.

Over the years, Ken has performed live and on recordings with nationally and locally known musicians including Jimmy McGriff, Bobby McFerrin, Lee Konitz, Larry Elgart, Joey DeFrancesco, Jack McDuff, and many others.

One of his proudest musical moments came through his work as guitarist on the soundtrack for the documentary film In My Hands. His performance career has also taken him into some of the best-known productions in musical theater, including Legally Blonde, Swing, Les Misérables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess, Chicago, and many more.

Ken's commitment to music extends into education as well. He currently serves on the faculty at Slippery Rock University and California University of Pennsylvania, continuing to share his experience with the next generation of musicians.

In this conversation, we cover the whole journey — discovering the guitar at nine years old, studying at Berklee, his jazz heroes, legendary musicians he's worked with, theater gigs, recording, film, music education, Pittsburgh's music scene, and the many chapters of a career that continues to evolve.

It's a conversation about jazz, guitar, performance, teaching, and a lifetime spent following the music wherever it leads.

Enjoy this interview with Ken Karsh.

More Ken:
https://kenkarshguitar.com/ 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Cincinnati-based Acclaimed Jazz Guitarist, Composer, Arranger, Bandleader & Educator Greg Chako.

We dive into his new 2026 album, Hard Bop – For the Record, and a remarkable five-decade journey through the world of music that sounds almost like it was written for a movie.

Inspired by the hard bop tradition, Hard Bop – For the Record features ten original compositions and stands as one of Greg Chako’s most personal and compositionally ambitious projects to date. The album brings together the tradition, swing, storytelling, and musical exploration that have defined his career.

Greg’s musical journey spans five decades across the United States and Asia. Known for his warm guitar tone, lyrical phrasing, and deeply swinging approach, he has developed a wide-ranging body of work rooted in mainstream jazz, hard bop, Latin jazz, and world-influenced modern jazz.

In this conversation, we get into the making of Hard Bop – For the Record, the artists and experiences that shaped Greg’s sound, his life as a guitarist and composer, his adventures across the United States and Asia, teaching and leading, and the incredible twists and turns of a career that has unfolded across generations of jazz.

This is a conversation about hard bop, creativity, longevity, travel, composition, education, and what it means to keep evolving after five decades in music.

Dig this interview.

Get the album and more:
https://www.gregchako.com/ 

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