Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series featuring Jazz Vocalist, Composer and Bandleader Katie Bull discussing her powerful 2026 album The Hope Etudes. We reconnect with Katie more than a decade after her first 2015 appearance on Neon Jazz to explore a project shaped by survival, reflection and profound artistic evolution in a post-pandemic world.

Set for release on April 10, 2026 via Orchard of Pomegranates Records, The Hope Etudes is Katie Bull’s most intimate and conceptually expansive recording to date. The album unfolds as a deeply personal yet universally resonant meditation on mortality, resilience, nonlinear time and what she calls “hope in action.” Drawing from experiences of isolation, hospice care and loss, the project was profoundly shaped by Katie’s time caring for her beloved mentor Jay Clayton during home hospice.

Joined by her longtime New York-based collaborators — bassist Joe Fonda, drummer George Schuller, guitarist Jeff Lederer and pianist Mara Rosenbloom — Katie delivers a moving, exploratory jazz recording that blends improvisation, poetic lyricism and emotional depth. The Hope Etudes captures the spirit of modern creative jazz while honoring lineage, mentorship and the enduring power of artistic community.

In this in-depth conversation, we dive into the making of The Hope Etudes, contemporary jazz composition, vocal improvisation, the impact of caregiving, navigating grief through music and the evolution of an artist over time. This episode is essential listening for fans of modern jazz, avant-garde vocalists, women in jazz, New York jazz musicians and anyone interested in music born from resilience and transformation.

Discover more about Katie Bull, upcoming performances and The Hope Etudes at https://www.katiebull.com/

Neon Jazz brings you interviews with top jazz artists, composers and innovators from around the world, celebrating the history and future of jazz through thoughtful conversations and deep musical exploration.

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview series. We caught up with Austin-based award-nominated multi-instrumentalist, vibraphonist, percussionist, and composer Carolyn Trowbridge to talk about her debut 2026 album Found Memories and her dynamic life in music and education.

A vital force in the Austin, Texas music scene, Carolyn’s new release features her regular quartet, expanded with additional musicians — most notably flutist Alex Coke — creating richly layered, ensemble-driven performances filled with color, drama, and unpredictable grooves.

Known for her innovative fluency and deep passion for sound, Carolyn crafts immersive sonic experiences that bridge modern jazz, chamber textures, and global influences. From the United States to Australia, her résumé includes collaborations with a wide range of forward-thinking artists.

In this conversation, we explore:


The making of Found Memories


Vibraphone and percussion in modern jazz


The Austin jazz scene in 2026


Ensemble-oriented composition


Jazz education and artistic development


Building a global career as a multi-instrumentalist

This is contemporary jazz fueled by energy, imagination, and fearless creativity.

🎶 Get the album & more:https://www.carolyntrowbridge.com/

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. We talk with Toronto jazz vocalist, composer, and arranger Alex Samaras about his 2025 Juno-nominated album Alex Samaras Meets Judy Garland and his remarkable journey in the music world.

As a child, Alex spent hours in the basement of his family home singing along to Judy Garland recordings. The intensity and emotional power of Judy Garland left a permanent imprint — and this album fulfills a lifelong artistic dream.

Known for his extraordinary vocal range and fearless genre-blending approach, Alex pushes vocal jazz beyond traditional boundaries. His work seamlessly incorporates classical, world music, and contemporary influences, creating a sound that is both deeply personal and boldly innovative.

In this conversation, we explore:


The making of Alex Samaras Meets Judy Garland


Reinterpreting iconic repertoire through jazz


Vocal range, technique, and artistic risk


Genre fusion in modern vocal jazz


The emotional legacy of Judy Garland


The Canadian jazz scene and global influence

This is a heartfelt and visionary tribute that feels like a dream realized.

🎶 Get the album:https://tryal1.bandcamp.com/album/alex-samaras-meets-judy-garland-3

Subscribe to Neon Jazz for more interviews with today’s leading jazz voices and innovators.

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. We talk with jazz trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas during a historic blizzard in New York about his powerful 2026 album Transcend, out April 24, 2026 via Greenleaf Music.

This new release continues Douglas’ deep exploration of legacy, spirituality, and ensemble innovation. The album features his all-star GIFTS Quintet, including DownBeat Artist of the Year tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, members of the Oscar-nominated post-rock trio Son Lux — guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang — along with cellist and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Tomeka Reid.

Blending electronics, lyricism, chamber textures, and high-energy interplay, Transcend stands as a spiritual and contemporary response to the landmark Sacred Concerts of Duke Ellington, performed between 1965–1973 and widely regarded as the spiritual culmination of Ellington’s career.

In this conversation, we explore:


The making of Transcend


Spiritual jazz in modern America


Ensemble innovation & cross-genre collaboration


The influence of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts


The GIFTS Quintet’s sonic architecture


Jazz legacy in 2026

This is modern jazz at its most urgent and transcendent — needed now more than ever.

🎺 Get the album: https://davedouglas.bandcamp.com/album/transcend

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series featuring UK pianist Paul Edis and San Francisco-based vocalist Noa Levy.

We dive into their 2026 album Portrait in Evans, out March 20, 2026 via Dot Time Records—a lyrical reimagining of the music of Bill Evans. Rather than simply interpreting Evans’ compositions as standards repertoire, the duo transforms some of his most harmonically rich material into storytelling vehicles—placing the human voice at the emotional center of Evans’ sound world.

Developed through live performance and touring, Portrait in Evans highlights their deep musical connection, expressive nuance, and sophisticated interplay. In this conversation, we explore their history as collaborators, their approach to lyric writing, Evans’ lasting influence on modern jazz, and how they reshape his legacy for contemporary audiences.

🎹 If you love Bill Evans, vocal jazz, piano trios, modern jazz reinterpretations, and artist interviews — this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen to the album:https://hypeddit.com/noalevypauledistrio/portraitinevans

More Paul Edis:https://www.pauledis.co.uk/bio

More Noa Levy:https://noalevylive.com/

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