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Discover new music, rising artists, and live performances from Las Vegas. Artists To Watch Las Vegas is a music interview podcast and video series from 91.5 Jazz & More KUNV—the best smooth jazz station in America—featuring conversations with emerging talent, established musicians, and standout performers visiting the entertainment capital of the world.
Recorded at KUNV Studios on the campus of UNLV, each episode delivers artist interviews, live music performances, and behind-the-scenes conversations with musicians across jazz, R&B, soul, and contemporary genres. From up-and-coming artists to nationally recognized performers, this show highlights the voices shaping today’s music scene.
If you're searching for music interviews, new artists to watch, live music conversations, or the Las Vegas music scene, this podcast connects you directly with the talent—on the mic and in the moment.
With mics on and cameras rolling, Artists To Watch Las Vegas gives you a front-row seat to the next wave of artists before they break.
🎙️ Produced by Jason Beatty at KUNV Studios (UNLV)
📍 Las Vegas, Nevada
Speaker 1 0:00
Listening to 91.5 Jazz and More, and we've got Jazz After Dark featuring the awesome Tony Red. Hey Tony, welcome to the 91.5 studios. How are you doing?
Speaker 2 0:11
Tony Red is in the house. I'm doing good. Yes, I'm doing great, actually.
Speaker 1 0:17
Okay, well, we're excited about your event that's going on on Labor Day at the space doors open at 4p.m. with the performance kicking off at 5p.m. Welcome to the studio, Tony. Can you start by sharing a bit about your musical background and what inspired you to pursue a career in jazz?
Speaker 2 0:37
Well, I grew up in a household with a family, mom and dad who loved music, and so every morning, well, actually on the weekend, you know, he had to go go to school every day. But on the weekend, my dad would wake up and he would put on like you know the Commodores and you know all that sort of stuff, the hardcore R and B airflow in the fire back in the day, and my so on Sundays when we went to church or we came back from church, my mom would be playing playing jazz because that was her favorite. So she was playing Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald. I mean, all of you know Duke Ellington, all that kind of stuff. So I kind of grew up listening to R and B and jazz, and then my mom won a citywide talent show in Atlanta. It was like 16 girls. They were all older than me. I was only 14. It was a two night event. You had to, you know, they had a one round first night, and you had to compete. Whoever made it to the finalist, and then I won the whole thing, and everybody was older than me, and so I remember after the event, after the talent show, my dad said, "You're going to be a singer. And see, I was like, "I don't want to be a lawyer. He said, "No, you're going to be a singer. He said, "You're going to be a singer, and so anyway, my mom would come home from work because she worked at the post office, and she would stop by you know record stores back in the day, and she would bring home albums of Nancy Wilson and Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Bond and Marlena Shaw, and she would say, "Baby, I got something you need to listen to, and she would play this stuff for me, and I would sit there with her because my mom really influenced me, and she loved Nancy Wilson. So I grew up loving Nancy Wilson and saying, "I want to be like her. So yeah, that's those are my roots.
Speaker 1 2:25
Yes, definitely a wonderful idol to look up to. Nancy Wilson is the best. Oh
Speaker 2 2:33
yeah, no, Nancy Wilson is the epitome of class, talent, and beauty. For me, she was, and grace-the way she cared. So every time I saw that she would be on TV or something, something about her, I would read it or watch it, and I was like, man. So then, when I got old enough to really go, you know, go to concerts, then I started to go see her perform, and I was just blown away. Right. Yeah. And then, so I was playing this place in Dallas called Caravan of Dreams. I used to live in Texas, and it was this place was in Fort Worth, and they had all the national acts. They had Kirk Whalen. You got to meet him, hang out with him, Diane Reeves, Nancy Wilson. So the the engineer, because I also performed at at this venue, so the engineer called me one day and he said, "Well, look, I know you love Nancy Wilson, so he said she's coming, and I got you VIP tickets and you can go backstage and meet her. I got a chance to go backstage and meet her. I bet I was so I was all over myself. I didn't know what to do because I grew up listening to her. She was my mom's favorite singer. This she became my favorite singer. So I was just I was all goofy and go. She was like, baby, just calm down. You know, because I was so excited. I was like, "You my favorite singer in the whole world. I want to be like you. Be like, you know. So she was like, "Baby, just calm down. And so she, I must have been, you know, she probably say, "I love, you know, I love her energy. She's so excited to meet me. You'll never know. But anyway, she said, "Here is my publicist number. You can stay in contact with me. I'm gonna stain it. And she said, as a matter of fact, she was a huge basketball fan. And some game, I forgot the team, but they were playing the next day, and she was still at the hotel. She said, "Call me at the hotel tomorrow, and we can talk a little bit. I got to talk to her on the phone. I took pictures with her. I followed her for years through her publicist. It was just a great. It was that was great.
Speaker 1 4:20
Yeah, if you're just joining us, we're in studio with Tony Red. She's going to be performing with Jazz After Dark. Now, Tony, as the wonderful, beautiful lead performer for Jazz After Dark, and you'll be sharing the stage with the incredible Tom Braxton. How does it feel? How does it feel to collaborate with him? And what has your musical journey been like leading up to this performance?
Speaker 2 4:45
Oh, girl! I just come back from Bangkok. I did cruise. I did a thing for the XAB Club, the digital currency. So I did that. I was there for 13 days, jet lag, worn out, and then I came back two weeks later, and I had a show with. Tom Braxton, the Catholic Catholic Rock Jazz Festival in Lubbock, Texas. We did that together, and Tom and I go way back because when I lived in Texas, we would run into each other, you know, because we were playing the same circuit, and so we became kind of became acquaintances that way. And then after I left and moved back to Atlanta, he started calling me for opportunities, and then I ended up on a few shows with him. So we kind of became friends. So then we we did like New Year's Eve two years ago together in Texas, and we just bonded on that show and just had so much fun. And I said we need to work together more. He said yeah we do. So we just started working, you know, making that happen because we enjoyed each other on stage and off stage. Yeah, that's nice. So,
Speaker 1 5:45
what can attendees expect from the show, Jazz After Dark? What do you? What can they expect from the show?
Speaker 2 5:53
Well, we're going to mix it up. Like I said, it's Jazz After Dark, Jazz, and R and B. Tom is going to bring the smooth jazz effect with his saxophone. We're gonna do some collaborations together with the smooth jazz thing going on. I'm gonna sing a sing some traditional jazz because that's actually my first love, you know, standards and all that sort of thing. And then I'm gonna bring some of the smooth jazz and some of the R&B, you know, because those are both my roots. And I, you know, I've recorded. I have four albums and three and five singles. And so yeah, I'm gonna be singing all of that stuff. They can they can expect a journey from jazz, smooth jazz, R&Bs. It's a little bit of fun, and we can throw it all up in there, child. And we're gonna have a good time. High energy. It's gonna make you think. It's gonna bring. It's gonna touch every motion that you have because that's what we do,
Speaker 1 6:42
right? Exactly. Now, jazz after dark is always a special occasion. Can you tell us what this event means to you, Tony Red, personally, and how you prepare for such a big performance?
Speaker 2 6:54
Oh, wow! First of all, for the curator and the person that founded this organization, Charlene Lincoln. I was so honored that she wanted me to be, you know, the first performer for the Jazz After Dark series because this is an ongoing thing. It's not just a, you know, one stop. It's it's an ongoing series that she's doing, and I was just honored and humbled that she, you know, reached out to me to be a part of the first one, so that meant a lot to me. And so, you know, I think it's I think it's awesome to bring you know try to keep the the tradition of traditional jazz and smooth jazz alive because for for a while you know it had kind of died, went away, all radio stations closed down, defunct, whatever, right? And you know, and and hip hop and rap took over, and people forgot about that genre of music. So for her to bring it back, and you know, and help bring it back, and and have it, you know, hopefully we can have it going across the country, so everybody can feel it and and and have a little bit of it in their life and remember how this music made you feel, and how important it is to keep this tradition going. Absolutely, yes. I'm just, yeah, I'm honored. I'm so thankful that to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 8:08
Right, as jazz is the you know the the push off. It's it is this template for music in the first place. Okay, before we yeah, before we wrap up, Tony, can you share with our listeners how they can get their hands on tickets for Jazz After Dark?
Speaker 2 8:24
Actually, you can go to JazzAfterDark.com and you can also go to the Space.com. Okay. Yeah, it's yeah, you can buy jazz yeah that way. It's it's easy to get a ticket. Okay. So I hope you all you know every all the listeners are excited, you know, want to feel good because my my music is is going to make you feel good, right? Yeah, we all need that today. Feel good show. Oh yeah, the show is a feel good show. Yeah, it's going to be great. Yeah, it's going to be great.
Speaker 1 8:54
All right, you know, with your extensive musical background, Tony Red, we get a lot of young people listening to us, young musicians. What's the one piece of advice you would give to aspiring jazz musicians?
Speaker 2 9:07
Okay, I'm just gonna keep it all the way real because that's what people say about me. First, get first you okay. First of all, make sure you get a good education, get you a job, and then you pursue your dream until it becomes your reality, you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1 9:23
Absolutely, that's what
Speaker 2 9:24
you do. Because this industry is is crazy. It's it's not easy, and it's not for the weak or the meek at heart. You got to be strong. You got to have a backbone, and you have to number one believe in yourself. I tell people that believe, and no matter what anybody else thinks, if you believe that you got the gift and you can do it, you just keep going. Don't don't listen to the naysayers because they will pop up in your life every now and again, and you just say mm hmm and just keep going, just keep going.
Speaker 1 9:52
All right, well, Tony Rand, thank you for joining us today, Tony. It's been a pleasure speaking with you and. Catching up on you, learning about your background, seeing how much of influence Nancy Wilson was on your career, and how you and of course Braxton got hooked up. That is a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing your advice. Thank you for hanging out with us this afternoon inside Carleas Cafe on 91.5 Jazz and more. Tony Red, you got any shoutouts before we head out?
Speaker 2 10:23
Oh yeah, I want to shout out to my new management, Terry Smith. I want to shout out to Charlene Lincoln for Jazz After Dark, my girl. I want to shout out to Tom Braxton in the house. I want to shout out to Sean Michael Ray's gonna be on bass. Y L Douglas gonna be. He's a master on drums. Yes. And then Otto, I can't pronounce his name right. Erling, he's gonna be keys, and it's just gonna be a fantastic show with great musicians, and we're gonna have a ball. All
Speaker 1 10:58
right. Well, Tony Red is gonna be in house, and we're talking about the space. Tom Braxton, Y. L. Douglas is gonna be off the chain. Hey, we'll take the ninth caller right now for tickets to this exciting show. 702-895-5868. Good luck. Much love, Tony. Thank you.
Speaker 2 11:20
Tonight, thank you. Love you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai