Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Toronto-based Jazz Guitarist & Composer David Occhipinti. We talk about his brand-new 2025 album Camera Lucida and his remarkable journey through music.

This new recording features eight original compositions blending chamber music textures and jazz guitar improvisations with some of Canada’s finest musicians. David’s 2012 Camera Ensemble recording was praised by his mentor Jim Hall as “an absolute gem.”

Over his career, David has been nominated for multiple Juno Awards and has toured extensively across Canada, Europe, and Japan. Dive into this thoughtful conversation about creativity, collaboration, and the evolving sound of modern jazz.

🎧 Get the album: https://davidocchipinti.bandcamp.com/album/camera-lucida-elastic-recordings

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Guitarist Zacc Harris, Bassist Chris Bates and Drummer Pete Hennig of the Twin Cities Jazz Quartet Atlantis Quartet. We dive into their electrifying new album, Live at Berlin, and explore the group’s deep collective history and creative chemistry.

Recorded during the opening week of Minneapolis’s newest jazz venue, Berlin, this Shifting Paradigm Records release captures a bold, freewheeling set of five previously unrecorded compositions that showcase the band’s reinvigorated, exploratory sound. Since forming in 2006, the Atlantis Quartet has become one of the most celebrated modern jazz groups in the Upper Midwest — known for blending intricate composition with fearless improvisation and infusing jazz with elements of rock, funk, and post-bop.

🎶 Get the album: https://shiftingparadigmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-berlin?from=discover_page

🎧 Subscribe to Neon Jazz for more in-depth conversations with today’s leading jazz artists. 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Fifth-Generation Mariachi Musician Alvaro Paulino Jr. and Dynamic Singer & Pianist Linda EPO. We talk about the upcoming MexFest on November 1, 2025, at Flushing Town Hall, celebrating Día de los Muertos with music, art, and culture.

This inaugural festival honors Mexican art, community, and remembrance — featuring exhibitions, participatory workshops, storytelling, and a vibrant concert led by Linda EPO and Alvaro Paulino Jr.

Linda, a Queens native, delivers transcendent performances that blur cultural lines with her dynamic stage energy. Alvaro continues his family’s legacy as the Musical Director of Mariachi Tapatío de Alvaro, carrying forward a New York mariachi tradition begun in 1983 by his father from Puebla, Mexico.

🎟️ For tickets and info, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with 5x GRAMMY Nominated Saxophonist, Arranger, Composer & Educator Lakecia Benjamin. We catch up with this powerhouse of modern jazz to talk about her November 1, 2025 show at the historic Folly Theater in Kansas City and so much more.

From her early days performing with legends like Clark Terry and Terri Lyne Carrington, to her groundbreaking, genre-fusing sound blending jazz, R&B, funk, and soul, Lakecia continues to redefine modern jazz expression. Her 2023 album Phoenix, produced by Carrington, featured an all-star cast, and her 2025 single "Noble Rise" with Immanuel Wilkins and Mark Whitford continues that visionary momentum.

We discuss her first-ever Kansas City performance, her connection to healing through music after the Folly’s recent challenges, and her ongoing mission to uplift through art and authenticity.

🎷 Catch the KC Show: https://follytheater.org/event/lakecia-benjamin
🌐 All Things Lakecia: https://lakeciabenjamin.com/
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Vocalist Ben Jones and Pianist Laurence Hobgood. We dive into their stunning new 2025 album Ben Jones & Laurence Hobgood — a raw, honest, and emotionally charged work recorded live at Skywalker Sound with no overdubs or safety nets. This intimate voice-and-piano collaboration captures 75 minutes of pure musical storytelling, from whispers to fireworks. We talk about their creative chemistry, recording process, artistic evolution, and much more.

🎶 Get the album & more: https://www.benjonessinger.com/store/p/ben-jones-laurence-hobgood

🎧 Dive into more interviews: Subscribe to Neon Jazz for exclusive conversations with today’s top jazz artists. 

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Drummer Hannah Johnson and Guitarist Ben Dameron of the Milwaukee-based jazz quartet Heirloom. We dive into their brand-new debut 2025 album Familiar Beginnings, exploring the band’s story, creative chemistry, and the making of this emotionally rich and melodically captivating project. Featuring DownBeat Award-winning saxophonist Sam Taylor and acclaimed bassist Tim Ipsen, Heirloom’s music shines with emotional depth, narrative flow, and a fearless sense of exploration — introducing a bold new voice in modern jazz. From inspiration to innovation, this conversation covers it all.

🎶 Get the album: https://shiftingparadigmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/familiar-beginnings
🎙️ Subscribe for more Neon Jazz Interviews — conversations with rising and legendary voices shaping today’s jazz world.

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Canadian-born, Chicago-based Jazz Guitarist Kevin Brown. We caught up with him to talk about his new 2025 album Adventus and his life in jazz. This thoughtful new collection reimagines music traditionally used during the Advent season — offering space for reflection, preparation, and peace through a jazz lens. Kevin began studying guitar under his uncle Peter Ulrich and was later inspired by his high school band director Jeff Kula before going on to study and perform with world-class musicians. Today, he shares his craft as a Guest Lecturer for Jazz Guitar at Wheaton College and Adjunct Professor at Olivet Nazarene University. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about artistry, faith, and musical growth.

🎸 Get the Album: https://kevinbrownguitar.bandcamp.com/album/adventus
📺 Subscribe to Kevin’s Channel: https://www.youtube.com/kevinbrownguitar

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with UK-based Jazz Saxophonist Dom Franks. We catch up with Dom to talk about his brand-new 2025 album Duality Pt. 2, recorded with Dom Franks’ StrayHorn and featuring The Carducci String Quartet and Aiden Pope. A former student of Jazz Messenger Jean Toussaint and winner of the Daily Telegraph Young Jazz Musician competition, Dom has built a dynamic career blending lyrical, harmonically rich, and groove-driven jazz. Since forming StrayHorn in 2010, he’s collaborated with many of the UK’s top jazz musicians, toured across Europe and South Africa, and continues to evolve his signature sound. From his base in the UK, we dive into the story behind the music and his life in jazz.

🎷 All things Dom: https://domfranksstrayhorn.bandcamp.com/
🎙️ Subscribe for more Neon Jazz Interviews — conversations with inspiring voices shaping the global jazz scene.

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Bassist Wojciech and Drummer Nikoderm of the Polish Jazz Outfit Omasta. Based in Poland, these bold newcomers have shaken up the Polish and European jazz scenes with their debut album Jazz Report from the Hood — a powerful, groove-driven record reflecting the rhythms of city life. We talk about their creative process, the band’s evolution, and how their sound captures the essence of modern urban jazz. Omasta’s name, taken from a Krakow dialect word for “fat added for flavor,” perfectly describes their thick grooves and deep, flavorful sound.
🎧 Get the album: https://omasta.bandcamp.com/album/jazz-report-from-the-hood
🎙️ Discover more Neon Jazz Interviews: Inspiring conversations with today’s boldest voices in jazz.

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Canadian Jazz Vocalist & Songwriter Angela Verbrugge on her 2025 album In the Wonder of the Night. Fresh off a tour in Italy, Angela dives into this new release, her musical journey, and what’s next. Teaming up with acclaimed NYC pianist Ray Gallon, the album delivers a collection of intimate voice–piano duets that blend her original compositions with inventive takes on the Great American Songbook. With her signature warmth, rhythmic charm, and positive spirit, Angela continues to bring a fresh light to the modern jazz landscape. Tune in and enjoy this conversation.

🎶 More on Angela & The Album: https://angelaverbrugge.com/ 

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