Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series featuring Harlem-based Ghanaian/American vocalist BLCK Madonna.

We take a deep dive into her debut album, Between the Lines, releasing March 27, 2026 on all major streaming platforms via The Noir Collective / Downtown Music. This powerful and deeply personal project reimagines seven jazz standards through the lens of identity, memory, and emotional truth.

BLCK Madonna is the artistic moniker of vocalist Ana Hoffman, whose shimmering soprano and rich, dusky lower register explore the intersection of jazz tradition, cultural identity, and contemporary expression. Born biracial and raised bicultural, Ana’s path to jazz was unexpected—she was a pharmacy major in college when music chose her during a profound personal reckoning.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss her journey into jazz, the meaning behind Between the Lines, the Harlem music scene, reinterpreting standards for a new generation, and carving out a voice that honors both heritage and innovation.

If you love modern jazz vocals, jazz standards, contemporary reinterpretations, or discovering new jazz artists, this interview is for you.

🎶 Listen here:https://open.spotify.com/track/614RUqyvSXNjBT8XlkYRrh?si=fhMjL1-7QPed0njly9sR2Q&nd=1&dlsi=fd7eb29e98ac4cf0

🔔 Subscribe to Neon Jazz for more in-depth conversations with today’s most compelling jazz artists.

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

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series featuring LA-based jazz singer and songwriter Becca Hannah.

We sit down with Becca to talk about her debut 2026 album, Tonight in My Dreams, and her lifelong journey in the arts. With a voice that feels pulled from another era and a deeply personal writing style, Becca blends jazz, R&B, soul, and blues into a sound that is both timeless and emotionally raw.

Originally from Boston, Becca shares her deep love for her hometown and the leap of faith that led her to Los Angeles nearly two years ago to fully pursue her singing and songwriting career. She opens up about how writing and singing come more naturally than speaking, how her stream-of-consciousness approach fuels her work, and why the stage has called to her since toddlerhood.

This conversation dives into music, identity, creative vulnerability, and the courage it takes to follow your calling. Settle in and enjoy the full story.

🎶 Listen to the album Tonight in My Dreams:https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/beccahannah/tonight-in-my-dreams

🔔 Subscribe to Neon Jazz for more in-depth interviews with today’s jazz and soul artists.

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

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series featuring Paris-based keyboardist, organist, composer, and producer Clément Simon, the creative force behind Baby Vortex.

We catch up with Clément to talk about Baby Vortex’s striking 2025 release Not What You Think, his evolving career in music, and his deep commitment to improvised and forward-thinking jazz. As an esteemed producer making waves across Europe, Clément plunges headfirst into exploratory sound, blending composition, spontaneity, and raw energy.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we dig into the Baby Vortex project, new recordings, live performances, the state of the world and music culture in 2026, and what it means to create art in uncertain times. If you’re into modern jazz, European jazz, improvised music, keyboards, organ, and experimental fusion, this one hits deep.

🎶 Settle in and dig this interview.

Get the album & more:https://www.instagram.com/babyvortexperience/

🔔 Subscribe to Neon Jazz for more in-depth conversations with today’s most compelling jazz

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

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series featuring Jazz Guitarist & Composer Homero Alvarez, joining us to talk about his 2025 album Flowing.

With his Sep7ett, Homero delivers a vibrant and modern blend of Latin American rhythms and Scandinavian jazz, featuring seven original compositions that travel across musical landscapes—from Colombian cumbia and Uruguayan candombe to Brazilian samba, baião, maracatu, and bossa nova—all woven into a rich contemporary jazz framework.

Following the success of their acclaimed 2022 debut Growing, Homero continues his exploration of cross-cultural sound, pairing sophisticated harmonic language with earthy grooves and dynamic improvisation. In this conversation, we dig into the making of Flowing, the creative process behind genre-blending jazz, and what it means to make music in today’s evolving global jazz scene.

🎶 If you love modern jazz, Latin jazz, jazz guitar, or global jazz fusion, this interview is for you.

Order the album Flowing:https://naxosdirect.se/items/flowing-lp-1288958

Homero Alvarez – Official Website:https://homeroalvarez.com/homero-alvarez-sep7ett/

🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth jazz interviews from Neon Jazz.

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

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with celebrated jazz husband-and-wife duo Bill Sample and Darlene Cooper, known together as Wild Blue Herons. We get into their soulful return with the 2026 album It’s All About Love and explore their powerful union, shared history, and lifelong artistic partnership.

This groove-driven third release blends jazz, funk, gospel, and contemporary pop, capturing the expansive sound they’ve developed on festival stages and club dates across Canada. Appropriately released on Valentine’s Day 2026, the album reflects a lifetime of shared creativity, chemistry, and heart.

Formed in 2017, Wild Blue Herons have appeared at leading festivals and venues across Canada, earning a reputation for rich musicianship and emotionally resonant songwriting. We dive deep into their journey, the making of the album, and what keeps their musical and personal bond strong. Enjoy this conversation.

🎶 Get the album:https://www.wildblueherons.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