Neal Sapper
President
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California
Inspirations: Neal has always had a passion for music. He was first exposed to the business side of music when he started working for National Record Mart at the age of 14. Later, while pursuing graduate work in clinical psychology, he learned how valuable interpersonal relationship skills are for the success of a business. His decision to create New World ‘n’ Jazz allowed him to merge his passion for music with the people skills he had gained through his education and work in psychology. Neal’s hard work has made New World ‘n’ Jazz extremely successful, and has caused him to receive the prestigious Gavin Award for the Jazz and Smooth Jazz Independent Promotion Person of the Year in 1995, 1996, 2000, & 2001. This is the industry’s highest honor for independent promotion. In June of 2002, Neal delivered the Keynote Address (Text Here, Audio Here) at the first annual JazzWeek Summit in Rochester NY.
Professional experience:
Consulting Business, 1978-1986
Vice President of Promotions for Global Pacific Records, 1986-1992
President of New World ‘n’ Jazz, 1992-Present
JazzWeek Conference: 2019 Humanitarian Award Winner. This prestigious award is an honor that is bestowed upon individuals for a lifetime of contributions to jazz and the jazz community.
Matt Hughes
Director for National Promotions
Location: Jersey Shore Area, New Jersey
Inspirations: Matt has loved music since he began studying the trumpet and clarinet in 3rd grade. He was interested in music throughout his life, but he gained his real appreciation for music theory and the music business while in college. He began working with radio in 1984, and was one of the first people to implement the NAC format (at the time it was called Contemporary Jazz). He quickly discovered that his love for music and appreciation for business made promotion a perfect career for him. His talent and hard work have played a large role in the success of New World ‘n’ Jazz, especially in the World Music Division. Matt is also an avid Digital Photographer!
Professional experience:
Music Reviewer for the MAC Report, 1990-1991
Music Director and Program Director, 1984-1996
Director for National Promotions at New World ‘n’ Jazz, 1996-Present
Kim Giles
Location: Tampa Bay Area, Florida
Kim Giles began her career in the music industry at Smooth Jazz WSJT 94.1 in Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL managing the Promotions Department, then went on to work as Director of Marketing and Promotions for Cumulus Broadcasting with four stations (WA1A 107.1, WSJZ 95.9, WHKR 102.7 and an Oldies AM station) on the east coast of Florida, and later moved to Ft. Myers and secured a position at 105.5 The Beat, WZJZ Smooth Jazz 107.1, and 95.3 WOLZ as Promotions Director.
During her years in radio, Kim developed a keen expertise for producing shows and festivals and cultivated a great passion for creating memorable live experiences with many of contemporary jazz’s top artists. During this time, she worked with a multitude of talented independent artists and opened her eyes to the reality of the specific tools they needed to get ahead in their careers.
In 2006 Kim launched Beyond One Entertainment (now Independent Artist Services) and has helped guide the careers of hundreds of artists for more than 16 years, as well as producing shows in the Tampa Bay area, SW Florida and in Costa Rica.