Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series with Washington, DC–based baritone saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Leigh Pilzer.

On this episode, we dive into Leigh's compelling new 2026 album, Keep Holding On, released on Strange Woman Records. The project finds Pilzer exploring intimate trio and quartet settings, creating an environment where composition, improvisation, interaction, phrasing, and musical structure can breathe.

Leigh brings a distinctive compositional philosophy to the record. Rather than simply placing her baritone saxophone within an ensemble, she approaches instrument, composition, arrangement, and collaboration as one unified expressive system.

The result is music where every detail matters—from the shape of a melody and the architecture of an arrangement to the spontaneous interaction between musicians.

In this conversation, Leigh and Joe also explore what it means to create meaningful music in 2026 America, the evolving role of the jazz composer and bandleader, her approach to ensemble design, and the possibility of bringing her music to Kansas City in the near future.

Keep Holding On is a fascinating look at what can happen when composition, musicianship, improvisation, and ensemble chemistry become inseparable.

This is a conversation about the architecture of jazz—and the freedom that can emerge when great musicians know exactly when to follow the structure and when to break away from it.

Leigh Pilzer — Keep Holding On
https://leighpilzer.bandcamp.com/album/keep-holding-on

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                     
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series with Jazz Trumpeter & FONT Music Organizer Allison Philips. On this episode, we get deep into the roots, history, mission, and activities surrounding the Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music)—one of the most adventurous and important organizations dedicated to expanding the possibilities of the trumpet in contemporary music.

Now entering its 24th season, FONT Music will take place September 14–20, 2026, with performances and educational events happening across New York City, Brooklyn, Jersey City, and online.

Founded in 2003 by legendary trumpeters Dave Douglas and Roy Campbell Jr., FONT Music has become the world's leading presenter dedicated exclusively to new trumpet music.

The festival brings together artists working across jazz, improvised music, contemporary composition, electronics, experimental music, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, creating a space where musicians can push the trumpet far beyond traditional boundaries.

In this conversation, Allison Philips takes us inside the story of FONT Music, its evolution, its community, and the incredible range of artists helping shape the future of the instrument.

The 2026 festival brings together an international community of established innovators and emerging voices, showcasing the extraordinary diversity of approaches being applied to the trumpet today.

A major centerpiece of this year's festival will be the presentation of the FONT Music Award of Recognition to legendary trumpeter, composer, educator, and cultural visionary Ahmed Abdullah on September 15 at The New School.

FONT Music is about more than a festival. It is about creating a community around experimentation, innovation, education, and the limitless possibilities of one of music's most powerful instruments.

From New York City to the international jazz community, this is a fascinating look at the people and ideas helping push trumpet music into the future.

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                    
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series with rising UK jazz vocalist, composer, and arranger Freddie Benedict.

On this episode, we dive into Freddie's 2026 debut single, Colours, and the remarkable musical journey that has taken him from the lockdown-era writing of an original song about first love to performances on some of the UK's most prestigious stages.

Freddie began his professional career as the lead male singer with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, launching a path that has seen him perform throughout the UK at celebrated venues including Ronnie Scott's, The Ritz, The Savoy, and The Maine.

At the heart of this conversation is Colours, an original composition that uses the spectrum of colors and emotions to explore the highs and lows of first love through jazz and scat. Written during lockdown, the song captures both youthful emotion and Freddie's developing voice as a composer and performer.

His growing musical résumé includes coaching from jazz luminary Emma Smith and sharing the stage with legendary vocalist Jacqui Dankworth. Those experiences have helped shape an artist equally comfortable honoring the jazz tradition while developing his own contemporary sound.

This is a conversation about young jazz talent, songwriting, improvisation, first love, musical education, and finding your own voice within a great musical tradition.

Freddie Benedict is an artist with plenty of road ahead—and Colours offers an intriguing first glimpse at where that road may lead.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/_freddiebenedict/?hl=en

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                     
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series with Boston-based pianist Yoko Miwa and vocalist Mikayla Shirley.

On this episode, we dive into their beautiful new 2026 debut album, The Midnight Hour—a recording born from late-night performances, intimate musical chemistry, and a shared love for great songs.

Last year, Yoko and Mikayla began performing together during The Mad Monkfish's Midnight Sessions in Cambridge, Massachusetts. What started as intimate duo performances gradually developed into a remarkable musical collaboration, creating what has become one of the Boston jazz scene's hidden treasures.

Their debut recording captures the atmosphere and spirit of those late-night sessions, showcasing two musicians who move effortlessly across musical boundaries.

The repertoire travels from jazz standards and Broadway songs to Brazilian music, classic pop, and contemporary songwriting. But rather than being defined by genre, the project is united by something much simpler—and much more powerful:

A great song.

Yoko Miwa and Mikayla Shirley bring their individual voices together in a setting that leaves plenty of room for intimacy, spontaneity, conversation, and musical discovery.

The Midnight Hour is a celebration of songs, atmosphere, musical chemistry, and the magic that can happen when two artists simply sit down together and listen to each other.

This is a wonderful conversation about the art of the duo, the Boston jazz community, and why sometimes the most powerful music happens long after the sun goes down.

Yoko Miwa & Mikayla Shirley — The Midnight Hour
https://store.spinneymedia.com/products/yoko-miwa-mikayla-shirley-the-midnight-hour-cd 

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                     
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series with acclaimed Los Angeles-based jazz singer Amber Weekes.

On this episode, we reconnect with Amber to explore her powerful new 2026 album, To Oscar with Love—a deeply personal tribute to the late, great Oscar Brown Jr., the legendary singer-songwriter, poet, storyteller, and Civil Rights activist.

For Amber, this project is much more than a tribute album. It represents the fulfillment of a musical destiny that began when she was a young girl and first heard Oscar Brown Jr.'s iconic song “The Snake” playing on the car radio during a family trip.

That moment sparked her imagination.

Oscar's music, personality, storytelling, wit, and unique ability to illuminate the lived experience of Black Americans stayed with Amber throughout her life. Nearly five decades later, she has turned that lifelong fascination into To Oscar with Love—a collection of Oscar Brown Jr.'s songs that demonstrates just how relevant his music and message remain today.

The album also arrives as part of the celebration surrounding Oscar Brown Jr.'s centennial, with October 10, 2026 marking what would have been his 100th birthday.

Amber and Joe also reconnect after previously speaking before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, making this a particularly meaningful return to the Neon Jazz program. 

This is a conversation about jazz, history, storytelling, Black American culture, musical legacy, social consciousness, and the remarkable power of one artist's work to inspire another generation decades later. 

Amber Weekes brings her own voice and perspective to Oscar Brown Jr.'s remarkable catalog, creating a tribute that is both deeply respectful and completely alive in the present.

Amber Weekes — To Oscar with Love
https://amberweekes.com/to-oscar-with-love/

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                     
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series with NYC-based jazz bassist, composer, and educator Hannah Marks.

We originally caught up with Hannah back in 2019, before she made the trip to Kansas City to promote her debut album. Now, years later, she returns to Neon Jazz with a major new chapter in her musical journey—her 2026 album Feed the Fire.

On her second release, Hannah makes a monumental creative leap, leading a fierce, adventurous acoustic jazz quartet featuring Nathan Reising on alto saxophone, Lex Korten on piano, and Steven Crammer on drums.

The music brings together modern jazz, straight-ahead jazz, and avant-garde influences, creating a sound that is both rooted in tradition and fearless in its exploration.

Produced by acclaimed jazz pianist and bandleader Jason Moran, Feed the Fire captures Hannah's passion for jazz in its many forms. The album is a statement of artistic independence, musical curiosity, and the freedom to explore, experiment, take risks, and grow alongside trusted bandmates.

For Hannah, the project represents another important step in staking her claim as a New York City bassist and composer while embracing the unpredictable and rewarding musical journey ahead

Feed the Fire is ultimately about passion, freedom, experimentation, and refusing to put limits on where jazz can go.

It's wonderful to reconnect with Hannah and hear how much her artistry has evolved since that first conversation in 2019.

Hannah Marks Official Website:
https://www.hannahmarksbass.com/hannah-marks-quartet-1

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                     
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series with acclaimed jazz vocalist and composer NicoleYvette. On this episode, we dive into her powerful 2026 debut recording, Say Yes, and the remarkable life in music that led her to this moment.

Say Yes is a deeply personal and fully realized jazz statement—one that explores identity, faith, resilience, transformation, self-discovery, and the journey from the dark night of the soul to the dawn of the self.

NicoleYvette's debut features an extraordinary collection of artists, including Kurt Elling, Terri Lyne Carrington, Joel Ross, J. Ivy, Keyon Harrold, and Paul Cornish. The album was produced by three-time GRAMMY® Award winner Sara Gazarek, bringing together an exceptional group of musicians around NicoleYvette's distinctive artistic vision.

But Say Yes isn't simply about the impressive names surrounding the recording. At its heart is NicoleYvette's story—her gospel roots, her relationship with music, her love of Prince, and the experiences that shaped her voice as both a vocalist and composer.

The album feels like a lifetime of departures and arrivals, capturing the emotional process of leaving one version of yourself behind and stepping fully into another.

This is a conversation about jazz, soul, gospel, faith, Prince, personal transformation, and the courage it takes to finally say yes to yourself.

NicoleYvette's debut is more than an introduction—it is a declaration.

NicoleYvette Official Website:
https://nicoleyvettemusic.com/ 

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                     
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series with award-winning Brooklyn-based singer and songwriter Luiza Girardello.

In this deeply personal conversation, we catch up with a young and rising artist whose music is shaped by a life lived between worlds. Born in Brazil, educated at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and now based in New York City, Luiza has spent much of her life navigating questions of identity, belonging, culture, and artistic expression.

Those experiences have become central to her music.

Luiza's sound draws from Brazilian rhythms, jazz, alternative rock, and contemporary songwriting, creating a musical identity that refuses to fit neatly into a single genre.

Her journey has also included an extraordinary personal challenge. Before earning international recognition by winning the Jazz/Blues category at the New England Songwriting Competition, Luiza survived an aggressive form of ovarian cancer that temporarily affected her coordination and voice and forced her to relearn how to sing.

Now in remission, she has transformed those experiences into music that reflects the perspective of a Brazilian immigrant, cancer survivor, educator, songwriter, and artist.

This is a conversation about music, identity, immigration, resilience, survival, creativity, and finding your voice after life forces you to begin again.

Luiza Girardello is an artist with a fascinating story—and her music reflects the complexity of a life lived across cultures, genres, and experiences.

Official Website:
https://www.luizagirardello.com/

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                     
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series with acclaimed jazz vocalist Jonathan Karrant. In this special conversation, we dive into Jonathan's powerful 2026 album, Full Circle, a deeply personal collaboration with Grammy-winning jazz vocalist and pianist Diane Schuur.

The album represents far more than a collection of songs. It is a celebration of friendship, mentorship, musical legacy, and the passing of the torch from one generation of jazz artists to the next.

Jonathan and Diane have shared a close friendship and deep musical connection for many years. Diane's influence and mentorship have played an important role in Jonathan's artistic journey, and following her retirement from touring and live performance, Jonathan was inspired to honor their relationship and her extraordinary contribution to jazz through this project.

Full Circle becomes an especially meaningful recording because it represents a symbolic moment in both artists' careers. It celebrates Diane's legacy while highlighting her belief in Jonathan as one of the next generation of jazz vocalists.

The project also carries profound historical significance as Diane Schuur's final studio recording, making this collaboration an especially poignant chapter in her remarkable career.

Jonathan Karrant has become a regular and much-loved voice around these Neon Jazz parts, and this conversation offers a fascinating look at the personal relationships, musical traditions, and artistic connections that keep jazz moving forward.

Full Circle is ultimately a story about where jazz has been, where it is going, and what happens when an iconic artist passes her wisdom and musical spirit to someone she believes in deeply.

Jonathan Karrant Official Website:
https://www.jonathankarrant.com/ 

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                     
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Venezuelan-born jazz saxophonist, composer, singer, producer, and arranger Rafael Greco. In this episode, we take a deep dive into his compelling new 2026 album, Verses Under My Shadow, his love of jazz, his Venezuelan roots, and an extraordinary career in music.

Released by Blue Canoe Records in April 2026, Verses Under My Shadow is Rafael's sophomore release for the label and features a remarkable cast of musicians, including Dave Weckl, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jimmy Haslip, Anton Fig, Scott Kinsey, Charles Altura, Luisito Quintero, Mark Ferber, and others.

The album moves through a fascinating blend of contemporary jazz, Afro-Latin rhythms, groove, experimental textures, vocals, electronics, percussion, and deeply personal storytelling. Across its 12 tracks, Rafael draws inspiration from literature, family, memory, friendship, loss, humor, history, and the world around him.

Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Rafael graduated from the prestigious José Luis Paz Conservatory and was an integral member of the National Youth Orchestra of his home state of Zulia. After moving to Caracas in 1988, he continued his advanced musical studies with masters including Gerry Weil, Álvaro Cordero, and Olegario Díaz.

Rafael went on to enjoy a distinguished career with Guaco, Venezuela's influential, multi-Latin Grammy-winning group. For decades, he toured internationally with the band, bringing the unique rhythmic spirit and musical perspective of Venezuela to audiences around the world.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore Venezuelan jazz, Latin jazz, Afro-Latin rhythms, composition, saxophone, vocals, production, arranging, Guaco, world music, touring, creativity, storytelling, and the inspiration behind Verses Under My Shadow.

It's a fascinating journey through Venezuelan music, jazz, literature, memory, and a lifetime spent creating across borders.

For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2

The Home of Neon Jazz: http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/

Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                     
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.