Notes From The Bridge

Bridging the Gap February 28, 2024 *Billy Butler: "The Butler Did It" (Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow 1970) Primarily a session guitarist, Billy Butler was active in the 40s, 50s & 60s and co-wrote the R&B hit "Honky Tonk" with keyboardist Bill Dogget. Played guitar on "Peppermint Twist" which was No. 1 on the Billboard Pop charts in 1962. *Jimmy McGriff: "The Bird Wave" (Electric Funk 1970) ) American blues, soul/jazz organist James Harrell McGriff played piano from age 5 & later adopted the Hammond organ. He also played electric piano & other keyboards. *Ohm Guru: "Jazz Brake" (The Groove Improver 1995) Italian musician/producer/sound engineer Riccardo Rinaldi (Ohm Guru) began performing electronic music in the late 70s. He was later known in acid jazz & funk circles as a producer & performer. *Makala: "Bacalao Al Pil-Pil (DJ Farrapo Remix)" (Makala Presents Global Funk 2018) DJ, musician, producer M...

Bridging the Gap February 21, 2024 *Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: "Running With The Tribe feat. Phil Ravelin & Wendell Harrison" (Jazz Is Dead 011 2022) Amer. composer, arranger & producer Adrian Younge along with producer/musician/composer Ali Shaheed Muhammad began the "Jazz Is Dead" series as "a global movement lived through community and culture." *Roy Ayers, A. Younge & A. S. Muhammad: "Shadows Of The East" (JID002 2020) The Jazz Is Dead series sought to feature & pay homage to much sampled jazz masters ie: jazz/funk composer/vibist & producer Roy Ayers. *Dorothy Ashby: "Soul Vibrations" (Afro-Harping 1968) Amer. jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby established the harp as a solo jazz instrument that could improvise as well as the other more established lead instruments such as sax or piano. *Beta Hector: "Creepin' feat. Dionne Charles" (Payback/Creepin' Single 2010) Multi-inst., DJ & pro...

Bridging the Gap February 14, 2024 *Orgone: "Lies And Games feat. Terin Ector" (Chimera 2024) Funk soul afrobeat band from LA led by Sergio Rios (guit. producer) & Dan Hastie (keys, producer) TE: vox & perc. *Crowd Company: "On This Love You Can Count feat. Ryan Zoidis & Eric Bloom" (Lowdown 2020) UK band's sound is a modern take on classic soul, funk, blues and modern jazz.  *Aja West & Friends: "I Don't Need Love" (Total Recall 2012 2007) Funk, hip hop, soul & jazz composer & producer Aja West led his group The Mackrosoft as well as the Mackrosoft record label. West passed away in 2022 from heart failure. *Adrian Quesada: "One Woman Man feat. Aaron Frazer & David Hidalgo" (Look At My Soul: The Latin Shade Of Texas Soul 2018) Austin TX based producer, multi-inst., composer also works in Black Pumas, The Echocentrics, Spanish Gold & Money Chicha as well as multiple solo projects. *Ronnie Marks: "Some L...

Bridging the Gap February 7, 2024 *Kiyoshi Yamaya & Kifu Mitsuhashi: "Hohai-Bushi" (Wamono Groove: Shakuhachi & Koto Jazz Funk '76 2021) Japanese jazz composer & sax player Kiyoshi Yamaya advanced jazz composition in Japan. Kifu Mitsuhashi is a Japanese shakuhachi player. *Kind & Kinky Zoo: "Hurricane Train (SoulBrigada Remix)" (Kind & Kinky Zoo 2017) Jazz/funk, afro beat, psychedelic  band out of Lausanne Switzerland. Featuring drums,  bass, flute and a Fender Rhodes. *The Greyboy Allstars: "Inland Emperor" (Inland Emperor 2012) The Greyboy Allstars came together when asked to perform at a DJ Greyboy record release party in San Diego. They enjoyed playing together so much, they decided to continue on as a band. *Brenda Fassie: "Let It Be" (Abantu Bayakhuluma 1994) So. African anti-apartheid Afropop singer Brenda Fassie began performing at age 16. She went multi-platinum when she teamed up with Chicco Twala on the album ...