Episodi

  • Deborah Henson-Conant on Innovation, Resilience & the Power of Music

    Deborah Henson-Conant on Innovation, Resilience & the Power of Music
    Jan 18 2026
    Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. On this episode, we talk with Grammy-nominated harpist, composer, innovator, educator, and coach Deborah Henson-Conant—a visionary artist who has redefined the harp for modern audiences. With decades of international acclaim, Deborah has built an extraordinary career as a live performer, composer, and musical pioneer, including the invention of her own body harp, expanding the expressive and physical possibilities of the instrument. She has educated and coached hundreds of musicians across the United States and abroad, influencing generations of artists. We dive into her powerful collaboration with Ukrainian bandura virtuoso Iryna Lytvynenko, which led to the world premiere of Deborah’s Bandura Concerto in Kyiv, Ukraine, broadcast on Ukrainian national television on November 19, 2025. This historic performance symbolized resilience, unity, and the life-affirming force of music amid war, made possible through Deborah’s Legacy Bridge Project, which connects composers with sponsors to remove financial barriers to new works. For over three decades, Deborah has mesmerized audiences throughout the US and Europe. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore her career, creative philosophy, this landmark project, and what it means to make meaningful art in the modern world. Enjoy this interview. More Deborah:https://www.hipharp.com/ For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkcSubscribe 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    34 min
  • Montreal-based Jazz Drummer, Bandleader & Composer Jacob Wutzke

    Montreal-based Jazz Drummer, Bandleader & Composer Jacob Wutzke
    Jan 17 2026
    Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. On this episode, we talk with Montreal-based jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer Jacob Wutzke about his new 2025 album Pedalling Falsehoods and a life immersed in the world of jazz. This fourth release marks a powerful artistic statement, with Jacob explaining the meaning behind the album’s title and the ideas that inspired the music. Known for his precise technique, creative ensemble playing, and joyful sense of swing, Jacob is a mainstay of the jazz scene, performing regularly as both a leader and an in-demand sideman. Beyond performance, Jacob is a dedicated music educator and author, having self-published several highly regarded drum method books that have become essential practice tools for drummers around the world. In this conversation, we explore modern jazz drumming, composition, education, creative intention, and the evolution of a working jazz musician. Enjoy. Get the album:https://www.jacobwutzke.com/music/p/pedallingfalsehoods For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkcSubscribe 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 min
  • Musicians of the Bay Area Collective LOBE

    Musicians of the Bay Area Collective LOBE
    Jan 16 2026
    Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. On this episode, we talk with LOBE, a collective of musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area, about their new and debut 2025 album was that on purpose? and the story behind the band’s formation, sound, and mission. The LOBE collective features Daiki Nakajima on flute, bass, tenor and soprano saxophones; Sam Silverstein on violin; Nolan Miranda on piano and synths; Mark Rau on bass and guitar; and Michael Hayes on drums. Originally united by a shared love of rhythm-forward contemporary jazz, the group quickly expanded its sound to include dance, folk, electronic, and pop influences. Through years of collaboration, friendship, and deep musical chemistry, LOBE developed a distinctive voice—whimsical and unhurried, challenging yet inviting, time-bending while firmly rooted in the present moment. This conversation explores creative process, collective identity, modern jazz evolution, and the spirit behind their debut release. Dig their story and this interview. Get the album:https://lobeband.bandcamp.com/ For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkcSubscribe 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 min
  • Toronto-based Jazz Singer, Songwriter & Actor Whitney Ross-Barris

    Toronto-based Jazz Singer, Songwriter & Actor Whitney Ross-Barris
    Jan 15 2026
    Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. On this episode, we talk with Toronto-based jazz singer, songwriter, and actor Whitney Ross-Barris about her new 2025 album Curtains of Light and a life devoted to the arts. Curtains of Light is a deeply expressive recording that blends jazz, choral music, neo-soul, spoken word, and folk, weaving intimate human stories of disconnection, longing, and resilience shaped by the challenges of recent years. The album features award-winning multi-instrumentalists Michael Shand and Drew Jurecka, whose contributions further expand its emotional and sonic depth. Beyond her work as a recording artist, Whitney has appeared at major music festivals as a solo jazz performer and has enjoyed a successful career as an actor, bringing the same emotional intelligence and storytelling to both disciplines. This conversation explores creativity, vulnerability, genre-crossing jazz, and the power of music to heal and connect. Enjoy this interview. Get the album:https://whitneyrb.bandcamp.com/album/curtains-of-light For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkcSubscribe 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 min
  • Chicago-based Award-Winning Palestinian-American Composer, Arranger & Multi-Instrumentalist Wanees Zarour

    Chicago-based Award-Winning Palestinian-American Composer, Arranger & Multi-Instrumentalist Wanees Zarour
    Jan 14 2026
    Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. In this episode, we sit down with Chicago-based, award-winning Palestinian-American composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Wanees Zarour to discuss his powerful new 2026 album Silwan and a life devoted to music. Deeply rooted in the traditions of maqam and jazz, Wanees has developed a compositional voice that transcends borders, blending Arabic, jazz, classical, and global music traditions into a bold and cohesive musical language. Born into a family of musicians, Wanees began his classical violin training at the age of seven, quickly advancing through the repertoire. Today, he serves as Director of the Middle East Music Ensemble at the University of Chicago, where under his leadership the group has grown into an 85-piece orchestra performing Turkish, Arab, and Persian music to sold-out audiences. This conversation explores the making of Silwan, the role of maqam in contemporary jazz, cross-cultural composition, and the power of music to bridge worlds. 🎧 Get the album Silwan and learn more:https://waneeszarour.com/ For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkcSubscribe 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 min
  • Edmonton-based Jazz Bassist Aretha Tillotson

    Edmonton-based Jazz Bassist Aretha Tillotson
    Jan 13 2026
    Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. In this episode, we take a deep dive with Edmonton-based jazz bassist Aretha Tillotson into her new 2025 CD Kinda Out West and a life dedicated to music. This release marks her second album as a leader and follows her Western Canadian Music Award–winning 2024 album Introducing Aretha Tillotson. Kinda Out West is an ode to the musicians of Alberta and the neighboring province of British Columbia, capturing the spirit, independence, and creativity of the Western Canadian jazz scene. Leading a chordless quartet, Aretha draws inspiration from the great ensembles of Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman from the 1950s and 1960s, bringing that tradition forward with a modern voice. This conversation explores the new album, her compositional approach, and the journey of building a jazz life in Western Canada. 🎧 Get the album Kinda Out West:https://arethatillotson.bandcamp.com/ For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkcSubscribe 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 min
  • Jazz Vocalist Alma Micic on the 2025 Album Lilac Wine – A Tribute to Helen Merrill

    Jazz Vocalist Alma Micic on the 2025 Album Lilac Wine – A Tribute to Helen Merrill
    Jan 12 2026
    Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. In this episode, we catch up with acclaimed jazz vocalist Alma Micic to discuss her 2025 album Lilac Wine – A Tribute to Helen Merrill, which she describes as her finest work to date. Our last conversation took place in 2018, so this interview also dives into COVID-era survival, the deeply meaningful experience of meeting Helen Merrill, and her hopes and vision for this tribute recording. On Lilac Wine, Alma is joined by an exceptional ensemble featuring Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone), Rale Micic (guitar), Brandon McCune (piano), Alexander Claffy (bass), and Jason Tiemann (drums). Together, they bring emotional depth, elegance, and modern jazz sensibility to the timeless repertoire associated with Helen Merrill. This conversation explores artistry, resilience, legacy, and the enduring power of jazz vocal expression. 🎧 Listen to Lilac Wine – A Tribute to Helen Merrill:https://music.apple.com/gb/album/lilac-wine-tribute-to-helen-merrill/1846068930 For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkcSubscribe 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 min
  • Peru-based Jazz Flutist, Composer, Sound Artist, Researcher & Music Curator Camilo Ángeles

    Peru-based Jazz Flutist, Composer, Sound Artist, Researcher & Music Curator Camilo Ángeles
    Jan 11 2026
    Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. In this episode, we talk with Peru-based jazz flutist, composer, sound artist, researcher, and music curator Camilo Ángeles about the newly released album Algol by his electroacoustic trio of the same name. The group features Camilo Ángeles, German drummer and producer Christian Lillinger, and Austrian composer and performer Elias Stemeseder—three internationally acclaimed artists working at the forefront of electroacoustic experimentation, improvised music, contemporary composition, and avant-garde jazz. The Algol project was born during a collaborative tour and recording sessions in early 2024, spanning Mexico City and Guadalajara, and has since expanded through performances across Europe and Latin America. The album captures a fearless approach to sound, texture, and improvisation, pushing the boundaries of modern jazz and experimental music. This conversation explores the album, the trio’s history, creative process, and the evolving language of electroacoustic and avant-garde jazz. 🎧 Get the album Algol:https://buhrecords.bandcamp.com/album/algol For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkcSubscribe 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 min