Nicholas Payton, Etienne Charles, Dawn Clement, Ute Lemper & Antonio Hart

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We kick off the 915th episode of Neon Jazz with a bold blast from the horn—Antonio Hart, delivering sounds from his soul-stirring 2025 release Blessings. A modern force on the horn and the bandstand, he sets the tone for an episode bursting with brilliance. From there, we roll deep into the heart of 2025's jazz scene—featuring powerful new music from veterans like Nicholas Payton, Dawn Clement, Charlie Hunter, Benny Benack III, Etienne Charles, and the ever-soulful Candice Hoyes. We venture into fresh sonic territory with Jeff Coffin and his genre-blending Wild Iris Bass Band, and explore identity and cultural roots with Peter Lin and the AAPI Jazz Collective, spotlighting their upcoming release Identity. Making a dramatic and mesmerizing debut on the show is renowned singer and actress Ute Lemper, channeling theatrical flair on her evocative new album Pirate Jenny. And finally, we close out with a live gem—Jacob Chung lighting up Frankie's Jazz Club with a performance that grooves deep. Dig the jazz, my friends—this episode is stacked with stories, soul, and serious swing.

Playlist

• Antonio Hart "Rock Candy" Blessings (Jazz Legacy Productions) 0:00
• Host talks 6:11
• Nicholas Payton "Open Your Own Treasure House" Notes from the Zen Gangster (Payton Records) 8:12
• Dawn Clement "Tokudo" Delight (Origin Records) 13:05
• Host talks 17:19
• Charlie Hunter and Ella Feingold "Shirley Chisholm" Different Strokes for Different Folks (Sidehustle) 18:04
• Ute Lemper "Mack the Knife" Pirate Jenny (The Audiophile Society) 20:47
• Host talks 25:31
• Benny Benack III "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" This is the Life (Live) (Bandstand Presents) 26:47
• Etienne Charles "Watch Night It" Gullah Roots (Culture Shock Music) 30:56
• Host talks 35:15
• Wild Iris Brass Band "9 to 5" Way Up (Ear Up Records) 36:02
• Candice Hoyes "Far Away Star" Single (Candice Hoyes) 40:25
• Host talks 45:07
• Peter Lin & AAPI Jazz Collective "A Town with an Ocean View" Identity (OA2 Records) 46:16
• Host talks 51:01
• Jacob Chung "Oblivion" Live at Frankie's Jazz Club (Cellar Live) 51:55

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