Bridging the Gap December 20, 2023

*Susheela Raman: "Meanwhile" (Music For Crocodiles 2005) British singer/composer of South Indian ancestry raised in Australia. She works in Indian and Pakistani traditions as well as her own unique world music, "unearthly" sound.

*Bajka: "A Vision" (Single 2005) Poet, singer, producer & songwriter born in India and raised in Portugal & So. Africa. Currently based in Berlin.

*Anoushka Shankar & Norah Jones: "Traces Of You" (Traces Of You 2015) Indian sitar player & composer born in London. Daughter of Ravi Shankar and half sister of Amer. singer/songwr., pianist & actress Norah Jones.

*The Bahama Soul Club: "Til I Landed feat. Tiago Saga" (Sundub Society 2023) German based nu jazz, world music band led by composer, sound engineer & producer Oliver Belz who has played drums since kindergarten and now lives and works in Portugal.

*Blundetto: "My. One Girl feat. Lateef The Truthspeaker" (Bad Bad Things 2010) French producer, singer DJ, singer & composer Max Guiguet plays electro, funk, soul, reggae and world music.

*Linton Kwesi Johnson: "Loraine" (Bass Culture 1980) British based author & dub poet LKJ was born in Jamaica and moved to London at age 9. He became the second living poet and the only black poet to be published in the Penguin Classics series.

*Frank Zappa: "Flambay" (Sleep Dirt 1979) Amer. musician, composer & bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free form improvisation, sound experimentation, musical virtuosity & satire of American culture. Frank would have turned 83 on Dec. 21st.

*Frank Zappa: "Black Napkins" (Make A Jazz Noise Here 1991) Showcases the beauty of Frank's instrumental works. One of the most innovative and stylistically diverse musicians of his generation. FZ passed away from prostate cancer in 1993.

*Gil Scott-Heron: "No Exit" (Moving Target 1982) Amer. musician, poet, author and activist who fused jazz, blues & soul with Brian Jackson. His 'spoken word style influenced a generation of hip hop artists.

*Michael Franti & Spearhead: "Feelin' Free (Alternative)" (Everyone Deserves Music 2003) Socially conscious artist fuses his political views with his love of music, esp. old school R&B, soul & hip hop.

*Robert Randolph & The Family Band: "Soul Refreshing" (Unclassified 2003) Amer. gospel, funk & soul band led by pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, who has been included in Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

*Poets Of Rhythm: "Survival Of The Freshest" (Discern/Define 2001) German funk band founded in the early 1990s by Jan Weissenfeldt & Boris Geiger

HOUR 2

*Puddu Varano: "What About The Girls" (Star 70 2000) Danish/Italian pair Alex Puddu (the Italian drummer) & Morten Varano (the Dane who plays keyboards and sequencers) describe their music as a mish-mash of funk, 70's disco  and house with a dose of soul, latin & rock.

*Quantic: "Off The Beaten Track" (Apricot Morning 2002) British multi-inst. producer, DJ & band leader Will Holland runs Selva Studios in his adopted home in Brooklyn NY.

*Quasamodo & The Q Orchestra: "Feel Good" (The Big Picture 2014) Greek producer Dimitris Nassios & the Q Orchestra bring live performances that are "explosive" & "bursting with energy."

*Roy Ayers: "Pricilla's Theme" (Coffy Soundtrack 1973) Amer. funk, jazz, soul vibraphonist & artist. His father played trombone & mother taught piano which gave RA exposure to music early on. He started as a post-bop jazz artist and in the 70s helped pioneer jazz/funk.

*Cal Tjader: "Mambo Mindoro" (La Onda Va Bien 1980) Amer. latin jazz vibraphonist, composer & artist was the most successful non-Latino Latin musician.

*Dorothy Ashby: "Games" (Afro-Harping 1968) Amer. jazz harpist, singer & composer. Established the harp as a solo/lead, improvising instrument in jazz. 

*Chicago Afrobeat Project: "White Rhino feat. Tony Allen & Ugochi" (What Goes Up 2017) World music ensemble that uses afrobeat as a jumping off point to explore a variety of styles including hip hop, funk, jazz, juju music and rock. TA: Afrobeat pioneer & drummer w/Fela Kuti. U: Internationally renowned singer/songwr.

*The Souljazz Orchestra: "One Life To Live" (Inner Fire 2014) Canadian Afro-Jazz-Funk band from Ottawa feat. composer, keyboardist, percussionist & vocalist Pierre Chretien.

*The Daktaris: "Modern Technology" (Soul Explosion 1998) Afrobeat project of musicians from Desco Records using fake African-sounding names. Martin Perna went on to form Antibalas with some of the others.

*Grupo Fantasma: "Montanozo" (El Existential 2010) Austin TX Latin funk orchestra known for their exuberant live shows and for backing for Prince on numerous occasions.

*Ondatropica: "Malaria" (Baile Bucanero 2016) Project of British multi-inst. composer, producer Will Holland (aka Quantic) & Colombian musician Mario Galeano.

*Novalima: "Aqui Y Ahora feat. Pablo Watusi" (La Danca, Pt. 2 EP 2023) Production collective of Peruvian musicians fm Lima, London & Hong Kong.

*Brownout: "The Sexican" (Homenaje 2007) Amer. Latin funk band from Austin TX. feat. Adrian Quesada and Beto Martinez on guitars & composition