Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed Toronto-based Jazz Guitarist Jeremy Green. We dive into his new 2026 album, In Motion, a career that started, stopped, and started again, and the many twists and turns that shaped his life in music.
Known for his distinctive blend of jazz, funk, and fusion, Jeremy Green has performed and recorded with acclaimed artists including Mike Stern, Will Lee, and Victor Wooten.
His debut album, Standing Eight, reached #1 on The Roots Music Report Fusion chart, while his original music has earned notable chart success and critical recognition across leading music publications and online platforms.
In this conversation, Jeremy opens up about In Motion, his evolution as a guitarist and composer, the musicians and experiences that shaped his sound, performing with legendary artists, and what it means to return to music after a career that didn't follow a straight line.
From Toronto to stages around the world, we cover the whole ride — jazz guitar, funk, fusion, improvisation, recording, collaboration, career reinvention, and the making of In Motion.
Enjoy this interview with Jeremy Green.
Get the album:
https://jeremygreenguitar.bandcamp.com/album/in-motion
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Indianapolis-based Jazz Saxophonist, Composer, Arranger, Producer, Educator & Creative Director Rob Dixon.
We get into his new 2026 album, Naptown Soul, and a life spent in the world of jazz.
Naptown's influence on soul jazz spans generations of musicians and recordings, creating a continuous musical lineage from the legendary Indiana Avenue scene to its wider national reach. With Naptown Soul, Rob Dixon carries that lineage into the present, pushing Indianapolis' rich musical tradition into the 21st century.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and having spent time in New York City, Rob eventually made his way back to Indianapolis, where his musical journey continues to evolve.
In this conversation, we get into the educators who shaped him, the cities that influenced his sound, the gigs and experiences that helped build his career, legendary musicians, Indianapolis jazz history, Indiana Avenue, soul jazz, and the making of Naptown Soul.
It's a deep dive into the past, present, and future of Naptown jazz and the artists carrying its tradition forward.
Dig this interview.
More Rob Dixon:
https://www.instagram.com/robdixonsax/
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed jazz vocalist Denise Donatelli, talking about her powerful new 2026 album Take My Breath Away.
On this deeply personal return to Neon Jazz, Denise reunites with Grammy-winning pianist, arranger, and producer Geoffrey Keezer for a project shaped not only by music, but by an extraordinary journey through life, health, resilience, and a renewed perspective on what matters most.
The tracks on Take My Breath Away were originally recorded in May 2024 at Bunker Studios in Brooklyn, New York. But shortly after returning home to Los Angeles, Denise received difficult news: the results of a mammogram and biopsy confirmed breast cancer.
The album was put on hold as Denise underwent medical treatment throughout the following year. Thankfully, those treatments were successful, and she eventually returned to the studio with an “all clear!”
Now, Take My Breath Away is finally being shared with the world.
In this conversation, Denise opens up about the making of the album, her collaboration with Geoffrey Keezer, the unexpected pause in the creative process, her experience navigating cancer treatment, and the new perspective on life that emerged from it all.
This is a story about music, resilience, survival, gratitude, creativity, and finding your way back to the studio — and back to yourself.
We get into it all in this emotional and inspiring return of Denise Donatelli to the Neon Jazz interview series.
Dig into the story behind Take My Breath Away.
Listen to the album:
Denise Donatelli — Take My Breath Away on Apple Music
Subscribe for more Neon Jazz interviews featuring jazz vocalists, musicians, composers, producers, and fascinating voices from the world of music.
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Chicago-based jazz bassist and composer Christopher Dammann. On this episode, we dig into his compelling new 2026 project, Dead Words, and the evolving musical life of an artist deeply connected to the world of jazz and improvised music.
Dead Words is a collection of spiritual contrafacts that traces a fascinating path from bebop through free jazz and into today's landscape of improvised music. Following his 2025 sextet debut, the new release further establishes Christopher Dammann's distinctive compositional voice — historically grounded, deeply swinging, adventurous, and committed to exploration without nostalgia.
Released by Shifting Paradigm Records, Dead Words features an extraordinary ensemble including Jim Baker, Jon Irabagon, James Davis, and Mike Reed, alongside Dammann's bass and compositions.
We also get into Christopher's life as a performer and composer, his approach to writing and improvisation, the evolution of his sound, and his work as a teaching artist with The People's Music School of Chicago, the city's largest tuition-free music school.
This is a conversation about Chicago jazz, modern jazz composition, free jazz, bebop, improvisation, jazz history, musical exploration, education, and the artists continuing to push the music forward.
Dig this interview with Christopher Dammann and discover Dead Words.
Get the album — Dead Words:
Christopher Dammann — Dead Words on Bandcamp
More about The People's Music School:
The People's Music School of Chicago
Subscribe for more Neon Jazz interviews featuring jazz musicians, composers, singers, educators, producers, and fascinating voices from the global jazz community.
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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
Subscribe for more Neon Jazz interviews featuring jazz musicians, singers, composers, educators, producers, and fascinating voices from the world of music.
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