Neon Jazz Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with acclaimed jazz vocalist Paul Marinaro. On this episode, we dive deep into his stunning 2025 album Mood Ellington, a lavish and ambitious collection of 25 Duke Ellington vocal masterpieces reimagined for the 21st century.

This remarkable project features arrangements by 13 of the world’s most celebrated jazz arrangers, including Alan Broadbent, John Clayton, Bill Cunliffe, Chuck Israels, and Chuck Owen, and is performed by Paul Marinaro’s Chicago-based quartet alongside horns and a lush string section. The result is a sweeping, elegant, and modern celebration of Ellington’s timeless artistry.

Beyond the music, we also talk about delivering jazz to fans in today’s America, the evolving relationship between artists and audiences, and what it means to honor tradition while pushing the music forward.

🎶 Mood Ellington is Duke Ellington’s songbook brought to life with wit, sophistication, and deep reverence—dig this conversation.

👉 Get the album:https://originarts.com/recordings/recording.php?TitleID=82937

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series featuring Tony Award® nominated actress, singer, and writer Melissa Errico.

In this spirited conversation, Melissa joins us to discuss her 2026 album I Can Dream, Can’t I? — a deeply personal and revealing project created with pianist Tedd Firth, one of New York’s most intuitive accompanists. Together, they explore a quieter lineage of the American Songbook, focusing on songs that ask questions rather than make bold declarations.

Melissa performs each piece like an interior soliloquy, uncovering the emotional subtext within the work of Cy Coleman, Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Rodgers & Hart, and Joni Mitchell. The album weaves together her gifts for storytelling, curiosity, and emotional nuance, offering a reflective lens on creativity and expression in 2026 America.

Rather than leaning into bombastic standards, I Can Dream, Can’t I? reveals the Songbook’s most powerful moments as intimate, inward, and quietly searching.

🎶 Get the album:https://melissaerrico.com/music/albums/i-can-dream-cant-i/

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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series featuring Zurich-based jazz guitarist, composer, and teacher Mareille Merck.

In this conversation, Mareille joins us to talk about her new 2026 album Kaleidoskop, her fast-rising career on the European jazz scene, and how she’s beginning to make waves across the Atlantic. We dive into her work as an educator, her compositional approach, and the musical journey that began when she discovered jazz guitar as a teenager.

Kaleidoskop features a fresh arrangement of “My Favorite Things” along with a heartfelt tribute to Bill Frisell, reflecting her deep roots in jazz tradition while pushing into new sonic territory. Mareille has studied with jazz titans, earned multiple awards, and continues to build a career that is clearly on the rise.

🎸 Get the album:https://www.mareillemerck.com/records/kaleidoskop

For More Neon Jazz:
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series featuring acclaimed jazz singer Martin Bonventre and arranger/music director Jackie Presti. We caught up with this dynamic New York City duo to talk about their 2025 release Swinging in a New Dimension, their creative partnership, the current state of jazz, and where the music is headed next.

Martin Bonventre is a true old-school showman—boasting a rich baritone voice, smooth stage presence, and a big, open-hearted personality. With a career rooted deeply in musical theatre, he has appeared in some of the most memorable musical comedy productions, performing in regional and summer stock theaters from coast to coast. His journey began at the City Lights Youth Theatre in New York City, where his passion for the stage first took hold.

Alongside arranger and music director Jackie Presti, Martin brings classic swing energy into a modern frame, blending tradition with fresh perspective. We get into the album, the artistry, their working relationship, and much more.Enjoy this conversation.

🎶 Get the album:https://www.martinbonventre.com/ 

For More Neon Jazz:
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Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series featuring NYC Big Band Leader George Gee and Producer/Bassist Clyde Bullard. We caught up with them to talk about a rare, one-time-only jazz event bringing together two major forces in contemporary jazz.

Multi-Grammy Award winner Arturo O’Farrill and the George Gee Swing Orchestra unite for a special performance at Flushing Town Hall on Saturday, February 7, 2026, as part of the venue’s acclaimed Global Mashup series. The historic night blends ballroom swing and Afro-Latin jazz as O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Octet and Gee’s long-running swing orchestra each perform a set before joining forces for a grand finale.

While both artists are staples of the New York jazz scene, this marks the first time they will ever share the same stage. George and Clyde break down the collaboration, the music, the vision behind the show, and much more.Dig this conversation.

🎟️ Tickets & Info:https://www.flushingtownhall.org/show-details/global-mashup-the-george-gee-swing-orchestra-meets-the-arturo-ofarrill-afro-latin-octet-ballroom-dance-meets-mambo

For More Neon Jazz:
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