Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Cincinnati-based Acclaimed Jazz Guitarist, Composer, Arranger, Bandleader & Educator Greg Chako.
We dive into his new 2026 album, Hard Bop – For the Record, and a remarkable five-decade journey through the world of music that sounds almost like it was written for a movie.
Inspired by the hard bop tradition, Hard Bop – For the Record features ten original compositions and stands as one of Greg Chako’s most personal and compositionally ambitious projects to date. The album brings together the tradition, swing, storytelling, and musical exploration that have defined his career.
Greg’s musical journey spans five decades across the United States and Asia. Known for his warm guitar tone, lyrical phrasing, and deeply swinging approach, he has developed a wide-ranging body of work rooted in mainstream jazz, hard bop, Latin jazz, and world-influenced modern jazz.
In this conversation, we get into the making of Hard Bop – For the Record, the artists and experiences that shaped Greg’s sound, his life as a guitarist and composer, his adventures across the United States and Asia, teaching and leading, and the incredible twists and turns of a career that has unfolded across generations of jazz.
This is a conversation about hard bop, creativity, longevity, travel, composition, education, and what it means to keep evolving after five decades in music.
Dig this interview.
Get the album and more:
https://www.gregchako.com/
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with UK-based Jazz Flutist, Multi-Instrumentalist & Composer Eddie Parker. We dive into his new 2026 album, Airborn, created with acclaimed guitarist Rob Luft, while exploring Eddie's remarkable life and career across the world of music.
Eddie Parker has built a career around curiosity, collaboration, experimentation, and an openness to musical possibilities. Along the way, he has worked with future musical luminaries including Django Bates and became widely recognized for his work in the 1990s with South African piano genius Bheki Mseleku.
He is also a regular member of the Will Gregory Moog Ensemble, while his Debussy Mirrored Ensemble has more recently gained attention for its distinctive compositions and performances.
Eddie describes himself as a qualified “eclectician” — a perfect description for a musician whose influences stretch across genres and generations. From Schoenberg to Santana and far beyond, Eddie explores a vast musical landscape while treating each influence with respect and transforming it through his own unmistakable voice.
In this conversation, we get into Airborn, working with Rob Luft, his collaborations with some of the most adventurous musicians of his generation, the evolution of his sound, the Debussy Mirrored Ensemble, the Will Gregory Moog Ensemble, and a lifetime spent exploring the endless possibilities of music.
Jazz, classical, fusion, electronic music, improvisation, composition, collaboration — Eddie Parker has traveled through it all.
Dig this interview.
Listen to the album:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3PMe9jBKXMLsV3gyaEAuOs
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Ukraine-born, NYC-based Jazz Guitarist George Grydkovets. We take a deep dive into his powerful new 2026 album, Spirit In You, and the remarkable journey that has brought him into the heart of the New York jazz scene.
Featuring an all-star band of NYC musicians including John Raymond on trumpet, Ari Hoenig on drums, Ben Tiberio on bass, and Eden Ladin on keyboards, Spirit In You was produced by acclaimed guitarist Gilad Hekselman. The music reflects George's New York experience — the sounds he has heard, the people he has met, and his longing for home — while exploring the profound contrast of building a life in safety as his hometown in Ukraine remains under attack.
Set for release on September 18, 2026, Spirit In You is deeply connected to George's experiences, dreams, identity, and search for a life-affirming spirit through uncertain times.
In this conversation, we talk about his move from Ukraine to America, studying at The New School, the impact of COVID, finding his voice as a jazz guitarist, his dreams for the future, performing live, the making of Spirit In You, and so much more.
From Ukraine to New York City, George Grydkovets' story is one of music, movement, resilience, discovery, and the search for home.
Enjoy this interview with George Grydkovets.
More George:
https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeGrydkovets/
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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/
For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
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