Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed Nashville-based jazz trombonist Bob McChesney. On this episode, we dig into Bob's brilliant new 2026 album, Wingwalkers, and explore a remarkable jazz career that began in Baltimore, spent decades in Los Angeles, and eventually brought him to Nashville.
Bob McChesney began playing trombone in the fourth grade through his public school music program. Decades later, he has become a world-renowned trombone soloist, educator, and authority on trombone pedagogy, developing one of the most distinctive approaches to the instrument.
His signature sound is built around beauty, speed, precision, and a deep emotional connection to the music. A central part of his approach is his advanced application of the doodle-tongue technique, giving him extraordinary fluency, clarity, articulation, and harmonic freedom on the trombone.
Wingwalkers reflects decades of artistic development and McChesney's highly refined approach to jazz trombone. In this conversation, we get into the making of the album, his musical evolution, his technique, his teaching, the cities and experiences that shaped him, and what continues to drive him as an artist.
From Baltimore to Los Angeles to Nashville, this is the story of a trombonist who has pushed the possibilities of his instrument while maintaining a deep connection to the heart and soul of jazz.
If you're a fan of jazz trombone, jazz improvisation, jazz education, brass instruments, music technique, Nashville jazz, or great jazz musicians, this conversation is one to dig into.
Dig this interview with Bob McChesney — and discover the sound and story behind Wingwalkers.
Get the album — Wingwalkers:
Bob McChesney — Wingwalkers Autographed CD
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with author Michael Pronko, talking about his 2026 book A Guide to Jazz in Japan.
Michael was back in his old stomping grounds of Kansas City to sit down with Neon Jazz for a wide-ranging conversation about his early memories of KC, his journey to Japan, and how he became deeply woven into the country's extraordinary jazz culture.
In A Guide to Jazz in Japan, Pronko brings together jazz history, cultural insight, travel knowledge, and personal experience to explore one of the most vibrant jazz scenes in the world. More than a travel guide, the book is a love letter to Japanese jazz and an invaluable cultural resource for anyone curious about the music, people, clubs, neighborhoods, and traditions that make Japan's jazz scene so unique.
Whether you're planning a trip to Japan, living there, an armchair traveler, or simply a lifelong jazz fan, Michael Pronko points you toward some of the best Japanese jazz experiences — including places far beyond the usual tourist destinations.
From Kansas City to Japan, this conversation explores jazz, travel, culture, history, discovery, and the many unexpected connections between two great jazz worlds.
Dig into this wide-ranging Neon Jazz conversation with Michael Pronko and discover why Japan has become such an important destination for jazz lovers around the world.
Get Michael Pronko's book — A Guide to Jazz in Japan:
Michael Pronko — A Guide to Jazz in Japan
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Canadian Jazz Guitarist Mike Murray on his powerful new 2026 album, Convergence.
We originally caught up with Mike in 2022, and a great many things have changed for his group since that last project. Now, he has finally created the album he always dreamed of—with a stellar cast of musicians and a deeply personal story behind the music.
Convergence is a musical portrait of the web of connections formed through long-lasting friendships, chance meetings, musical relationships and the butterfly effects of a near-fatal car crash. The album represents the culmination of years of development as a band, bringing together artists from disparate backgrounds into an explosive, joyful and purpose-filled sonic experience.
And perhaps most importantly, it’s an album that refuses to be boxed into a single genre.
In this conversation, we get into Mike Murray’s evolution as a guitarist and bandleader, the journey from our 2022 interview to Convergence, the musicians who helped bring his vision to life, the life-changing experiences behind the music, and how unexpected connections can shape an artist's entire creative path.
This is a story about jazz, friendship, resilience, creativity, musical connection and finding meaning in the unexpected.
We get into the whole story.
Enjoy this interview with Mike Murray.
Get the album: Mike Murray — Convergence on Bandcamp
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Composer, Multi-Instrumentalist & Founder/Owner of Wide Hive Records Gregory Howe.
We cover the whole range of this fascinating music man who has made a major impact on the world of jazz from both sides of the equation—as a musician and an entrepreneur.
Gregory Howe founded Wide Hive Records in 1996 and has made it his mission to record and showcase veteran jazz masters while creating adventurous, alluring and forward-thinking music. In this conversation, we dig into the new 2026 Daggerboard project, Daggerboard: The Skipper and Mike Clark, and the larger musical vision behind one of Wide Hive's signature projects.
Primarily active as a producer, mixer and composer, Gregory is also a multi-instrumentalist who performs guitar, synthesizer, turntable, voice and percussion across numerous recordings. His work reflects a deep appreciation for jazz history while continually pushing into new territory.
We talk about Wide Hive Records, Daggerboard, Mike Clark, veteran jazz musicians, independent record labels, producing, composing, improvisation, entrepreneurship and Gregory's own evolution as a musician.
It's a conversation about what it takes to preserve the legacy of jazz while continuing to move the music forward—and the story of a man who has spent decades building his own place in that world.
Dig into the whole story with Gregory Howe. Dig this interview.
Get Wide Hive Action: Wide Hive Records
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with GRAMMY and Emmy Award-Winning Trumpeter, Composer & Synthesist Mark Isham.
We caught up with this accomplished Los Angeles powerhouse to talk about his new 2026 album, At the Carousel Club, and a life dedicated to making music across jazz, electronic music, orchestral composition and cinema.
An Academy Award-nominated composer, Mark Isham has spent decades moving fluidly between musical worlds while helping shape the sound and narrative of some of the most memorable films and recordings of the past four decades. His work includes film scores for A River Runs Through It, Crash, Blade, and more, while his performing career has included collaborations with legendary artists such as Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Stanley Clarke.
Now, with At the Carousel Club, Isham returns to his roots with a recombinant musical statement that brings together the many sounds and experiences that have defined his remarkable career. His first solo album in more than 15 years places Mark back at the center of his own musical world.
We get into the new album, his jazz roots, synthesizers, composing for film, collaboration, creativity and the evolution of a career that continues to cross boundaries between jazz, electronic music and cinematic sound.
Dig this interview with Mark Isham.
Get the album & more: Mark Isham Official Website
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