Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino: 2026

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Bandleader Russ Anixter: Hippie Big Band & Reimagining Rock Through Jazz

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Jazz Arranger, Orchestrator & Bandleader Russ Anixter on his 2026 project What’s Next?

On this new release, Russ Anixter’s Hippie Big Band transforms familiar rock, funk, fusion and jam-band repertoire into something entirely new — music driven by orchestration, groove, humor and improvisation.

Rather than simply recreate the originals, the ensemble treats each song as raw material for reimagination. Big-band arranging meets the spirit of rock and jam music, creating a sound that is unmistakably Anixter while still honoring the essence of the music that inspired it.

In this conversation, Russ and Joe dig into What’s Next?, the creative process behind the Hippie Big Band, arranging familiar music for a large ensemble, improvisation, groove, humor, the relationship between jazz and other musical worlds, living and creating in modern times, and so much more.

It's a fascinating return to Neon Jazz with an artist who continues to find new ways to bring orchestration, freedom and fun together.

Get the album: Russ Anixter – What’s Next?

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Saturday, September 26, 2026

Germany-based Andrew Moorhead: Mirage, Jazz Piano & the Mathematics of Improvisation

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Germany-based Jazz Pianist & Composer Andrew Moorhead.

Dig this fascinating conversation as we explore his new 2026 album Mirage, his journey through jazz and beyond, and the unique intersection of music, physics, discipline, improvisation, and creative risk that shapes his work.

Mirage is a strikingly personal suite of etudes — music born from inquiry, discipline, experimentation, and a willingness to step into the unknown. Across the album, Moorhead explores phased time signatures, interlocking melodic cycles, and that elusive space between muscle memory and pure spontaneity.

Born in Houston, Moorhead studied piano and physics at the University of Texas. During his university years and after graduating in 2006, he became an active musician in Austin, immersing himself in a multifaceted music scene that offered opportunities to develop through jazz, metal, R&B, and other musical worlds.

Now based in Germany, Moorhead continues to explore what happens when complex ideas, deep musical study, and improvisational freedom collide.

In this conversation, we get into Mirage, his unusual musical philosophy, the relationship between physics and music, his Austin years, jazz piano, composition, experimentation, and the fascinating story behind his career.

Get Andrew Moorhead's Mirage: Origin Arts – Mirage

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Friday, September 25, 2026

Founder/CEO of Beacon Media Adrienne Wilkerson: Building a Mission-Driven Marketing Empire

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series .. On this episode, we talk with Podcaster, Author, Founder & CEO of Beacon Media & Marketing Adrienne Wilkerson.

Adrienne has spent decades building businesses and helping founders turn their missions into meaningful growth. She started her first business in 2001 and has gone on to build a national digital marketing agency specializing in mental and behavioral health organizations.

Beacon Media & Marketing has earned Inc. 5000 recognition for three consecutive years, reflecting Adrienne's journey as an entrepreneur and business leader. She's also a published author and the host of The Beacon Way podcast.

At the heart of Adrienne's work is a simple but powerful idea: founders shouldn't have to second-guess their marketing. When the way a company shows up in the world genuinely reflects the mission behind the business, the connection becomes stronger — and when the connection is right, the growth follows.

In this conversation, Adrienne and Joe dig into entrepreneurship, digital marketing, branding, leadership, mental and behavioral health marketing, building a mission-driven business, business growth, authenticity, overcoming uncertainty and the lessons she's learned from more than two decades as an entrepreneur.

From starting her first business in 2001 to leading a nationally recognized agency, hosting The Beacon Way and helping other founders find clarity in their marketing, Adrienne's story is packed with insight, reinvention and hard-earned lessons.

It’s quite a story. We get into the whole story.

More Adrienne / The Beacon Way: The Beacon Way

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Coach Helen Armstrong: From HR Executive to Finding Purpose & Authenticity

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series .. On this episode, we talk with Coach & Former HR Executive Helen Armstrong.

For twenty-seven years, Helen worked as an HR executive in financial services. She became known as the “Dot Connector” — the person who could see the pattern nobody else caught and understand what was happening beneath the surface.

But Helen's story goes much deeper than a successful corporate career.

As a highly sensitive and empathetic child, she experienced the world differently from those around her. She learned early that she needed to perform, fit in and be “more appropriate.” That ability to adapt helped shape her professional success — but eventually came at a tremendous personal cost.

By her mid-forties, Helen had checked virtually every box that conventional success was supposed to deliver. Yet she found herself miserable, unhealthy and completely unfulfilled.

That's when the change happened.

In this conversation, Helen and Joe dig into her remarkable career pivot, the hidden cost of performing, highly sensitive people, empathy, corporate life, burnout, authenticity, personal growth, finding purpose and what it takes to build a life that actually feels right.

It's a powerful story about recognizing when the path you're on no longer fits — and having the courage to change direction.

More Helen: helenarmstrong.life

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Speaker & Entrepreneur Chris Abazis: Break the Script, Embrace Discomfort & Start Saying YES

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series .. On this episode, we talk with Entrepreneur, Entertainer, Speaker & Author Chris Abazis.

After more than 20 years helping people build successful businesses and lives, Chris Abazis has become fascinated by a powerful paradox: the same routines, identities and behaviors that help us become successful can eventually become the very things that keep us stuck.

Chris has coached entrepreneurs, sales professionals and leaders through growth, change, communication and the pursuit of success. He has trained and coached more than 1,000 professionals, built and led businesses, spoken on stages and reinvented his own career more than once.

Now, his work explores what happens when we stop following the script.

How can our routines quietly make our lives smaller? When does playing it safe become a barrier to growth? What happens when we embrace discomfort, challenge our identities and start saying YES again?

From his base in Florida, Chris and Joe dig into entrepreneurship, personal growth, leadership, success, reinvention, habits, identity, communication, taking risks and creating a life that doesn't simply look successful — but feels alive.

It's a fascinating conversation about breaking patterns, getting unstuck and giving yourself permission to write a new chapter.

More Chris: chrisabazis.com

Enjoy this interview.

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NYC-based Actor Jeff Brooks: Beetlejuice, Broadway & the Magic of Starlight KC | Oct. 2-4, 2026

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series .. On this episode, we talk with Actor Jeff Brooks, who plays Charles in Beetlejuice the Musical at Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, October 2-4, 2026.

We caught up with this talented New York City actor as he returns to Kansas City for the edgy, irreverent and wildly entertaining Broadway smash hit musical comedy Beetlejuice.

For Jeff, the stage has been part of his DNA since he was a kid. He famously went to rehearsals with his mom and spent time in a crib offstage, growing up surrounded by actors, rehearsals and the magic of live theatre.

His career has taken him across the country in major national tours, including Dear Evan Hansen as Larry, Chicago as Billy, A Bronx Tale as Sonny, Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music and much more.

Now Jeff and the Beetlejuice crew are bringing the strange and unusual to Kansas City for just three performances, October 2-4, triumphantly marking the final show of Starlight's 2026 Broadway Season.

In this conversation, we dig into Jeff's journey as an actor, his lifelong connection to theatre, touring nationally, playing Charles in Beetlejuice, returning to Kansas City and what makes this outrageous musical such a unique experience onstage.

If you're a fan of Broadway musicals, live theatre, Beetlejuice, Starlight Theatre or great stories from the people behind the curtain, dig into this conversation with Jeff Brooks.

Get tickets & more: Starlight Theatre – Beetlejuice Tickets

Enjoy this interview — and catch the show...

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NYC-based Haruna Fukazawa: Plays at the Wrong Time | Jazz Flute, Frank Wess & Creative Freedom

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Japanese-born, New York-based flutist & improviser Haruna Fukazawa.

Dig this interview as we get into her brilliant new 2026 album, Plays at the Wrong Time, her journey through the world of jazz, and the creative philosophy behind bringing the flute forward as a complete jazz voice.

Clear, swinging, lyrical, and rhythmically playful, Plays at the Wrong Time turns “wrong time” into a creative principle — embracing surprise, wit, freedom, and the unexpected. Fukazawa brings together original music and fresh interpretations of familiar repertoire while drawing on both her classical discipline and the improvisational spirit that has shaped her artistry.

Her journey began as a classical flutist before she discovered a deeper creative home in jazz. A major influence along the way was legendary saxophonist and flutist Frank Wess, whose mentorship and encouragement helped bring Fukazawa to New York City and strengthened her belief in the flute as a complete improvising voice.

In this conversation, we explore her new album, her musical evolution, the influence of Frank Wess, the possibilities of the jazz flute, improvisation, creativity, and what it means to embrace the unexpected.

Listen to Plays at the Wrong Time: Apple Music

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Lawyer, Artist & Coach Julie Waas: The Midlife Reboot, Reinvention & Unstoppable Mornings

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series .. On this episode, we talk with Author, Certified High Performance Coach, Practicing Attorney & Artist Julie Waas.

After more than 39 years practicing law, Julie has built a remarkable life that reaches far beyond the courtroom. She is also a self-taught abstract artist whose work has been showcased internationally in New York, London, Madrid, Miami, Milan, Venice and Innsbruck.

But Julie's most powerful work may be the personal transformation that inspired her mission.

A devoted mom to three adult sons, including one with autism, Julie knows firsthand the challenges and possibilities that can come with major life transitions. Her own experience navigating the empty nest became the foundation for a powerful new chapter — and a mission to help women embrace midlife as an opportunity for reinvention.

Julie is the author of The Midlife Reboot and the Unstoppable Mornings Journal. Through coaching programs, retreats, inspirational talks and transformational journaling tools, she helps women rediscover purpose, build momentum and create a life that feels deeply their own.

In this conversation, we dig into midlife transformation, empty nest life, reinvention, high performance, creativity, motherhood, purpose, personal growth and why getting older can actually open the door to something extraordinary.

More Julie: juliewaas.com

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Musician, Sound Designer & Educator Michael Flannery: From Atlantic Records to Sound Design & Songwriting

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with Musician, Sound Designer & College Professor Michael Flannery.

Michael's career began in 2001 when he was signed to LAVA/Atlantic Records, and since then he has built an extraordinary career across virtually every corner of sound and music — from songwriting and recording to film scoring and sound design for art exhibited in museums around the world.

As one half of the children's music group The Flannery Brothers, Michael sold out small theaters throughout New England. His songwriting has earned recognition from the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Parents' Choice Awards, American Library Association, and International Songwriting Competition.

Today, Michael teaches sound recording, audio post-production, and songwriting at Stevens Institute of Technology, bringing decades of real-world music and audio experience into the classroom.

And now he's turning that experience into a new book.

Coming this November through Bloomsbury, The Practice of Songwriting explores the craft, discipline, creativity, and process behind writing songs.

In this conversation, we get into Michael's journey from Atlantic Records to sound design, film music, children's music, songwriting, teaching, and authorship — and what he's learned along the way about making, hearing, and understanding sound.

It’s an incredible story.

More Michael Flannery & The Practice of Songwriting: The Practice of Songwriting

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Bullhorn Leader Brad Flowers: From NBA Dreams to Brand-Building Entrepreneur

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with Brad Flowers, Co-Founder of Bullhorn, an agency specializing in brand transformations for professional service firms.

Brad leads Bullhorn's work in naming, brand strategy, and brand language — helping organizations rethink how they present themselves and communicate what they do. He is also the author of The Naming Book, a five-step guide to creating memorable and meaningful brand names.

But Brad's story starts somewhere very different.

From his base in Kentucky, we get into his early dream of playing in the NBA, the experiences that eventually pushed entrepreneurship into his life, and the journey that led him into the world of branding, business, and creative strategy.

Brad is also the co-founder of Broke Spoke, a nonprofit bicycle shop focused on making cycling more accessible while creating opportunities within the community.

In this conversation, we explore entrepreneurship, branding, naming businesses, creative strategy, professional services, community, taking unexpected turns, and the fascinating path from childhood ambitions to building a career around ideas.

It’s quite a tale.

More Brad Flowers & Bullhorn: Bullhorn Creative

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Thursday, September 24, 2026

Pittsburgh, PA-based Guitarist Ken Karsh on Jazz Guitar, Jimmy McGriff, Bobby McFerrin & a Life in Music

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Pittsburgh, PA-based Guitarist Ken Karsh.

Ken began playing guitar at age 9 and has spent a lifetime immersed in music, performance, and music education. After attending Berklee College of Music, he earned both a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degree in performance and went on to build an incredibly diverse career across jazz, theater, film, recording, and education.

Over the years, Ken has performed live and on recordings with nationally and locally known musicians including Jimmy McGriff, Bobby McFerrin, Lee Konitz, Larry Elgart, Joey DeFrancesco, Jack McDuff, and many others.

One of his proudest musical moments came through his work as guitarist on the soundtrack for the documentary film In My Hands. His performance career has also taken him into some of the best-known productions in musical theater, including Legally Blonde, Swing, Les Misérables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess, Chicago, and many more.

Ken's commitment to music extends into education as well. He currently serves on the faculty at Slippery Rock University and California University of Pennsylvania, continuing to share his experience with the next generation of musicians.

In this conversation, we cover the whole journey — discovering the guitar at nine years old, studying at Berklee, his jazz heroes, legendary musicians he's worked with, theater gigs, recording, film, music education, Pittsburgh's music scene, and the many chapters of a career that continues to evolve.

It's a conversation about jazz, guitar, performance, teaching, and a lifetime spent following the music wherever it leads.

Enjoy this interview with Ken Karsh.

More Ken:
https://kenkarshguitar.com/

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Matthew States: From Addiction & Homelessness to Purpose & Recovery

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with Matthew States, founder of Divine Chosen Ones and Soul Shine Struggle, two purpose-driven communities focused on helping veterans rebuild their lives after alcohol addiction through identity, faith, practical skills, and community.

Matthew's journey was anything but a straight path.

After serving more than two decades in the U.S. Navy and working as a Department of Defense contractor, he faced some of life's most difficult challenges — including addiction, divorce, homelessness, and the daunting process of rebuilding his life from the ground up.

Those experiences ultimately became part of a larger mission.

Matthew believes recovery is about more than simply quitting alcohol. It's about discovering who you are, developing practical tools for moving forward, finding meaningful community, and ultimately creating a life worth protecting.

In this deeply personal conversation, we get into Matthew's military background, addiction and recovery, homelessness, faith, identity, resilience, veteran support, purpose, and the experiences that transformed his own struggles into a mission to help others.

It's a story about falling down, getting back up, and discovering that the hardest chapters of your life can become part of the reason you help someone else keep going.

More Matthew States & Divine Chosen Ones: Divine Chosen Ones

Follow Matthew on TikTok: Matthew States on TikTok

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Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Stuart Perrin Part II: Meditation, Healing & the Jazz Metaphor for Living

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we welcome back Author & International Rundra Meditation Teacher Stuart Perrin for Part II of our conversation.

Born and raised in New York City, Stuart has spent more than 40 years teaching meditation, healing, personal growth, and the art of living with greater awareness. He is the author of seven books focused on transforming life's tensions into greater joy, love, and understanding through practical and accessible approaches to meditation and healing.

This time around, we get into some of the blocks of modern living — the pressures, patterns, expectations, distractions, and internal struggles that can keep us from experiencing life more fully.

And then comes the jazz metaphor.

What can jazz teach us about living well? About improvisation, listening, responding to what is happening in the moment, embracing uncertainty, and finding our own rhythm while remaining connected to the world around us?

Our conversation moves through healing, meditation, personal growth, joy, self-awareness, modern life, improvisation, and the inevitability of being human.

Stuart brings a thoughtful, deeply human perspective to all of it, and this return trip to Famous Interviews becomes a rousing conversation about how we navigate the beautiful imperfections of being alive.

More Stuart Perrin: Stuart Perrin Official Website

Stuart is amazing. Enjoy his insights.

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Multiple Hall of Famer Tim Miller: From NCAA Football Coach to Motivational Hypnotist & Beyond

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with former NCAA Division I Head Football Coach, motivational hypnotist, professional speaker, author, RE/MAX Hall of Famer, and high-stakes corporate entertainer Tim Miller.

With more than 20 years in athletic coaching and two decades devoted to developing elite team dynamics, Tim has built a fascinating career around leadership, performance, motivation, and human potential. Along the way, he learned directly from legendary football figures including NFL Hall of Fame Coach Dick Vermeil and the Kansas City Chiefs organization.

Tim has also been recognized for his work in team culture, athlete empowerment, and community leadership, including an induction into a Black Hall of Fame in Pennsylvania — a distinction recognizing his dedication to empowering minority athletes and serving his community.

Today, his career has taken another fascinating turn.

After founding Hypnotizing America, an international program based on Grand Bahama Island, Tim and his team are rolling out a brand-new interactive entertainment experience: The Chaotic Hypnotic Game Show.

From his current base in Bermuda, Tim shares the story behind his evolution from college football coach to motivational speaker, hypnotist, author, and corporate entertainer — along with lessons in leadership, teamwork, performance, confidence, and creating unforgettable experiences.

We get into football, coaching, the influence of Dick Vermeil, the Kansas City Chiefs, team culture, hypnosis, motivation, entrepreneurship, and what comes next for Tim Miller.

It’s a stellar story. Enjoy this interview.

More Tim Miller & Hypnotizing America: Hypnotizing America

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Cincinnati-based Acclaimed Jazz Guitarist, Composer, Arranger, Bandleader & Educator Greg Chako

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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Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Obie-Award Winning Director, Writer, Actor, Founder of QSL Healing & Transformation Practitioner Leah C. Gardiner

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with Obie Award-Winning Director, Writer, Actor, Founder of QSL Healing & Transformation Practitioner Leah C. Gardiner about creativity, identity, inner truth, healing, spirituality and the process of profound personal transformation.

For decades, Leah has worked at the intersection of creativity, identity and inner truth. Whether she's working with actors in rehearsal halls or guiding clients through transformational work, she describes the mission as remarkably consistent: helping people acknowledge who they've become, release what no longer serves them, and step into who they truly are.

As an adoptee who connected with her biological family through what she describes as channeling her deceased biological mother, Leah has a deeply personal understanding of trusting inner knowing and exploring what becomes possible when we listen to ourselves.

Her philosophy recognizes that while insight can happen in an instant, meaningful transformation requires integration over time.

Through QSL Healing, Leah now guides high-achieving individuals through The Quantum Soul Level Healing Integration Framework™, bringing together her experiences in theater, creativity, identity and transformational work.

We get into the whole story — her career in theater, her personal journey, identity, intuition, healing, inner truth and the path toward transformation.

More Leah C. Gardiner & QSL Healing:
http://www.qslhealing.com/

Leah C. Gardiner:
https://www.leahcgardiner.com/about

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