He describes himself as a soul singer who can't sing. But "Fluteman" Darryl Evan Jones of Memphis, Tennessee is one incredible jazz artist who plays the flute in a style that combines the classic sound of artists who came before him with his own rich, modern melodic style. In this interview with our host Stefan Zaichkowski, Darryl says he studied the playing of French classical flautist Jean-Pierre Louis Rampal. Jean-Pierre, who died in 2000, was popular in the US and Japan from the 1960s to the 1980s and was said to be technically perfect on the flute.

He desperately wanted to be a jazz artist, moving to New York City. But bass guitarist Yosef Gutman Levitt (originally from South Africa) found that success doesn't come easily. To support himself, Yosef had to work in restaurants. He did other odd jobs as well - all the while, performing in local venues. Still, real success eluded him. He took a break to reflect on his approach to music, then landed a job as a producer on the Oprah Winfrey show. He also became very good at software programming, creating his own tech company. It was in 2009 that Yosef left the US to live with his family in Israel. In 2014, the giant website company "GoDaddy" purchased his tech firm. It wasn't until just a few years ago, in 2018, that Yosef went back to his first love of music. This time, he worked on a unique approach - combining hasidic melodies with jazz, latin, classical and Middle Eastern influences. And bang - success! Yosef Gutman Levitt, through ingenuity and determination, rose to prominence in the music world. In this interview with host Stefan Zaichkowski, Yosef admits that for years, he was a "lousy musician" but adds, that today, that has become an advantage because he can more easily spot weaknesses. Hear Yosef's music at 54:40.

The legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter, who performed with Miles Davis and many other great jazz artists for decades, turned 87 years old on May 4, 2024. To help celebrate Maestro's birthday, our jazz radio host Ross Morgan (who is also a jazz guitarist) spoke with Ron about his approach to music and working with other artists. Towards the end of the interview, Ross asks Ron if he'd mind doing a liner for Ross's radio show. Ron agrees, but then asks Ross for a favor as well.

In this episode of Easy Jazz Spotlight, host Ken Boyd talks with jazz songwriter and singer John Korbel. John's song "Bourbon Street Taps" which is featured in this interview at 13:38, hit number one on iTunes. The video was filmed during the Covid crisis in New Orleans - a big advantage for filming says John, because: "There weren't too many people around." John is a former rock and roller who tells Ken that he writes all of his own music.

In this edition of Easy Jazz Spotlight, host Stefan Zaichkowski talks with veteran Toronto jazz guitarist Rob Tardik. Rob tells Stefan that in his early days, he played in a rock band, but also played classical guitar and jazz on the side. Today, Rob's music has made it to the top of the Billboard smooth jazz charts. During the interview at 36:30, Rob decides to grab his guitar and start playing! Be sure to also check out Rob's music video at 1:05:50.

In this episode of Easy Jazz Spotlight, host Stefan Zaichkowski talks with Virginia trumpeter and educator Bill McGee. Bill talks about his long and varied career, and takes a historical look at the changes in the music industry over the years. Bill tells Stefan that he could see the rise of digital music as far back as the early 1990s - and, he reveals why he stepped away from producing albums for a long stretch of time.

On this episode of Easy Jazz Spotlight, we feature jazz fusion artist Deepspawn Logic. Deepspawn, who is from Brooklyn, New York - tells host Stefan Zaichkowski that she underwent a period of depression during the pandemic. But her music helped her get through it. In her words: "My brain just exploded." Deepspawn talks about her unusual style of music, and says there is an audience for every song she produces. Hear a sample of her work at 46:05 in the podcast.

In this episode of Easy Jazz Spotlight, California musician and host John Armato talks with Los Angeles vocalist, songwriter and producer Staci Griesbach who combines her passion for country music with jazz. Staci talks about overcoming the challenges of recent years. John also asks Staci: how she got started; how she plans her albums; the differences between working in the corporate world and being an independent artist; and what lessons she's learned in her growing career.