Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Nigerian-born, New York-based artist Lawrence Udeigwe, a fascinating musician, composer, vocalist, pianist, mathematician, educator, and interdisciplinary thinker.
In this episode, we dive into his remarkable new 2026 album, Four Lemmas, and the extraordinary intersection of jazz, mathematics, neuroscience, music, teaching, perception, identity, and human expression.
Four Lemmas is an eight-track concept project built around mathematical ideas including orthogonality, sparse matrices, local maxima, and stable equilibrium. Rather than simply translating mathematics into music, Udeigwe uses these structures as lenses through which to explore emotion, identity, perception, clarity, independence, growth, and meaning.
Udeigwe's artistic and academic worlds are deeply connected. He works as a Professor of Mathematics at Manhattan University, while his creative life encompasses music, composition, vocals, piano, keyboards, writing, performance, and interdisciplinary exploration. His work is guided by the idea that structure shapes perception—and perception becomes expression.
On Four Lemmas, Lawrence performs alongside Steph Clement and Wayne Tucker on trumpet, Josh Green on drums, and Rade Bema on bass, with mixing and mastering by Dave Darlington. The album brings together modern jazz, soul, African influences, groove, poetry, and mathematical concepts into a singular musical vision.
In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore jazz and mathematics, music and neuroscience, Nigerian musical influences, composition, creativity, teaching, cognition, philosophy, identity, improvisation, perception, and the creative thinking behind Four Lemmas.
It's a fascinating journey through the mind of an artist who refuses to put music and intellectual inquiry into separate boxes.
Get the Album & Learn More
Lawrence Udeigwe — Official Music & Website
For More Neon Jazz:
Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe 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

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed Bay Area jazz guitarist and composer George Cotsirilos. In this episode, we take a deep dive into his remarkable career and his beautiful new 2026 album, In The Wee Hours.
On his seventh recording, George returns to the intimate sound of solo nylon-string jazz guitar, bringing beloved jazz standards and two original compositions to life with patience, warmth, subtlety, and extraordinary depth.
Recorded largely in unedited first takes over several years, In The Wee Hours captures the spontaneous character and emotional honesty of George's playing. Rather than relying on elaborate production, the album allows the guitar, the compositions, and the spaces between the notes to tell the story.
Originally from Chicago, George has been an important part of the San Francisco Bay Area jazz community for many years. His extensive career has placed him alongside an extraordinary range of musicians, from Bay Area jazz fixtures such as Mark Levine to internationally celebrated artists including blues legend Etta James and jazz icon Pharoah Sanders.
In this fascinating conversation, George and Joe Dimino explore solo jazz guitar, nylon-string guitar, jazz standards, original compositions, improvisation, recording techniques, first-take performances, the San Francisco jazz scene, Chicago roots, Etta James, Pharoah Sanders, Mark Levine, and the evolution of a lifelong musical voice.
In The Wee Hours is an intimate portrait of an artist who understands that sometimes the most powerful musical statement comes from simplicity, space, and letting the music breathe.
It's a story you need to hear. Dig this interview with George Cotsirilos!
More George Cotsirilos:
George Cotsirilos Official Website
For More Neon Jazz:
Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe 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

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed jazz pianist, accordionist, composer, and bandleader Ben Rosenblum. In this episode, we take a deep dive into his exciting new 2026 album, The Longest Way Round, his Nebula Project, touring, composition, and the many global musical influences that shape his sound.
The Longest Way Round marks an important milestone for Ben Rosenblum: it is his first album consisting entirely of original compositions. The album features a three-part suite and showcases the chemistry of his regular band, including Wayne Tucker on trumpet, Jasper Dutz on saxophone, clarinet and flute, Rafael Rosa on guitar, Marty Jaffe on bass, Ben Zweig on drums, and Ben Rosenblum on piano and accordion.
The music reflects Ben's fascination with sounds and traditions from around the world. Drawing on influences including Dominican merengue, Japanese J-Pop, Irish reels and jigs, salsa, West African rhythmic traditions, Jamaican reggae, and jazz, the album creates a distinctive musical world that moves freely between genres and cultures.
The recording followed a nine-concert U.S. tour in 2024, giving the musicians an opportunity to develop the music on the road and deepen the chemistry that ultimately became The Longest Way Round.
In this conversation, Ben and Joe Dimino explore jazz piano, accordion, composition, world music, jazz fusion, touring, improvisation, cultural influences, the Nebula Project, original music, and the creative process behind one of Ben's most ambitious recordings yet.
Ben has also become a good friend of the Neon Jazz family, making this a particularly enjoyable return to the show.
Get the album:
Ben Rosenblum – The Longest Way Round
For More Neon Jazz:
Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe 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

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with jazz singer and voice-over artist Marsha Bartenetti. In this episode, we explore her remarkable career in music, voice-over, recording, and broadcasting, along with her new 2026 single, "New York Minute," and her upcoming album arriving later this year.
Marsha is a smooth, rich, and expressive vocalist whose heartfelt delivery brings authenticity to every lyric. Her ability to connect emotionally with a song allows her vocals to transport the listener directly into the story.
Her musical journey began in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s, during a vibrant era filled with extraordinary musicians and opportunities. Performing with her band alongside her then-husband, Marsha opened for notable acts including The Youngbloods and performed at legendary venues such as the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Although she eventually stepped away from the stage for a period of time, Marsha never left music behind. She continued working extensively in the recording studio, lending her voice to national advertising jingles for major companies including Bank of America and Chevron.
One of the most fascinating chapters of her career came through Octel Communications, a pioneering voice-messaging company serving businesses around the world. Marsha became the American English voice of Octel, meaning her voice was heard by millions of people across the globe.
Now, Marsha is returning to her passion for recording and performing with new music that showcases the depth, warmth, and authenticity developed throughout her extraordinary career.
In this conversation, we explore jazz singing, vocal performance, voice-over work, recording studios, advertising jingles, San Francisco's music scene, the Troubadour, Octel Communications, songwriting, her new single "New York Minute," her upcoming 2026 album, and the stories behind a lifetime in music.
It's a fascinating story of an artist who has experienced multiple eras of the music and voice-over industries—and continues to create.
Marsha Bartenetti:
https://www.marshabartenetti.com/
For More Neon Jazz:
Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe 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

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with award-winning Bulgaria-based jazz vocalist, poet, composer, and educator Gergana Velinova. In this episode, we dive into her remarkable musical journey and her powerful new 2026 album, Free.
Now her seventh album, Free is a deeply personal project shaped by motherhood, resilience, transformation, and the search for freedom through music. Gergana blends contemporary jazz with bossa nova, blues, Brazilian music, and lyrical ballads, creating an intimate and soulful listening experience that invites the listener into her world.
Gergana believes that a song truly begins its life when it quietly finds its way into someone's world and becomes part of their own story. That philosophy is at the heart of her music and helps explain the emotional depth and warmth found throughout Free.
A Bulgarian-Canadian creative force, Gergana is recognized for her luminous voice and soulful fusion of contemporary jazz, pop, and Brazilian influences. Beyond her work as a performer and composer, she is also an accomplished music educator and founder of an award-winning Bulgarian children's school, extending her passion for music to the next generation.
In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore jazz, motherhood, creativity, resilience, transformation, songwriting, poetry, Brazilian music, bossa nova, music education, and the journey behind Free.
This is a beautiful story about an artist embracing change, finding strength through life's experiences, and allowing music to become a vehicle for connection and freedom.
Get the Album & Learn More
https://www.gerganavelinova.com/
For More Neon Jazz:
Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkc
Subscribe 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