Bridging the Gap July 10, 2024

*De-Phazz: "Guru Bamboolo" (Pit Sounds 2024) German downtempo & jazz ensemble led by producer & sound painter Pit Baumgartner. PB utilizes a rotating group of musicians & vocalists to achieve that smooth as silk sound.

*Bebo Best & The Super Lounge Orchestra: "Mambajazz" (Jazzmamba 2016) Italian producer/nu jazz lounge artist Bebo Baldan brings a wealth of experience with multiple artists to his recordings.

*Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band: "I Need Somebody To Love Tonight" (Expansions 2021) After experiencing steel drums in Trinidad and Tobago, bandleader Bjorn Wagner stayed to learn the instrument and formed BRSB on his return to Germany..

*Booker T & The MG's: "Fuquawi" (Melting Pot 1970) American R&B/soul combo was the house band for the Stax Record label helping to create seminal recordings with the likes of Sam and Dave, Otis Redding & Wilson Pickett.

*The Mackrosot: "Life Is Too Short" (S.E.M.E. 2009) Specializing in hybrids of funk, fusion, soul, jazz & electronic music, The Mackrosoft & leader producer Aja West released a ton of music before AW's passing in 2022.

*The Clinton Administration: "Up For The Downstroke" (One Nation Under A Re-Groove 2003) The Clinton Admin. was centered around keyboardist Robert Walter & percussionist Chuck Prada covering the songs of George Clinton (Parliament/Funkadelic.) 

*Nickodemus: "Mystic Molay (Instrumental)" (A Long Engagement 2018) NY DJ/producer Nick DeSimone uses world music to drive his global fusion and heavy beats. He brings to bear an eclectic mix of artists and instrumentation to capture a unique blend of worldwide sounds.

*Innov Gnawa & Akizzbeatz: "Bangara (AkizzBeatzz Remix)" (Single 2019) NYC based ensemble led by Maalem (Master) Hassan Benjaafar plays Moroccan Gnawa healing music.  HB plays the guembri, (3 stringed African bass & tbul drum to summon people to the healing ceremony. AB: Hip hop prod. Athens Greece.

*El Michels Affair: "Fazed Out" (Yeti Season 2021) NYC based Cinematic soul group led by musician producer Leon Michels. LM is a founding member of the Dap-KIngs & Menahan Street Band.

*Eliades Ochoa: Que Sabroseao!" (Tribute To The Cuarteto Patria 2000) Cuban guitarist & singer Eliades Ochoa joined the long lived group "Cuarteto Patria" but is best known outside Cuba for his involvement with Buena Vista Social Club.

*Las Cafeteras: "El Zapateado" (It's Time 2012) Latin band from East LA, Las Cafeteras music fuses spoken word & folk music with traditional son jarocho and zapateado dancing. 

*Empresarios: "No Vamos A Parar" (The Vibes 2015) Empresarios music is known as "Tropicaliente" (hot tropical sounds) They combine a variety of world influences in their Latin fusion funk out of Wash DC.

*Bajofondo: "Montserrat" (Orqesta Del Plata ) So. Amer. band of musicians from Argentina & Uruguay playing "contemporary music from the Rio De La Plata."

 HOUR 2

*Gemma & The Travellers: "Please Don't Forget My Name" (Too Many Rules & Games 2017) Gemma Marchi sings lead & writes songs for The Travellers. Gemma founded the band after leaving Italy and meeting Anglo-Swedish guitarist Robert P.

*Kylie Auldist: "Still Into You" (Just Say 2008) Kylie Auldist is an Australian-Samoan soul & funk singer who moved from rural Western Australia to pursue a musical career in Melbourne where she met Lance Ferguson of The Bamboos.

*Kinny: "Desire feat. Nostalgia '77" (Idle Forest Of Chit Chat 2009) Caitlin Simpson (Kinny) is native Canadian-Jamaican French & Swedish classically trained opera singer who moved to Norway to pursue a career singing her own style of music.

*Les Baxter: "Mozambique" (The Exotic Moods Of... 1996) Amer. musician, composer & conductor is the originator of the 'exotica' sound and wrote over 150 film soundtracks.

*Don Tiki: "Tinfoil Hats" (South Of The Boudoir 2009) Local boys Kit Ebersbach (Perry Coma) & Lloyd Kandell (Fluid Floyd) created Don Tiki in the late 90s to bear the torch of exotica music with humor and style to spare.

*The Tikiyaki Orchestra: "Space Tango" (Tropika 2023) A Modern exotica septet based out of LA, Ca. led by composer & multi-inst. Jim Bacchi.

*Jah Wobble: "Stepping Hill" (Dream World 2018) English bassist, singer, poet and composer John Joseph Wardle was a founding member of Public Image Ltd. before forging his own distinctive career.

*Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell & Karsh Kale: "Shochurolling" (Funkcronomic-EP 2016) BL: Am. bassist prod. & label owner, BW: keys, composer & producer (PFunk,) KK: tabla player combined elect. music.

*Hattler: "Bikinian Rhapsody" (Warhol Holidays 2016) German Bassist par excellence Helmut Hattler plays fusion, rock & jazz with ethnic elements.

*The Bahama Soul Club: "Land Of The Healers And Dealers feat. Cutty Wren & Josephine Nightingale" (Sundub Society 2023) German born/Portugal based band playing soul, jazz & bossa with Afro & Caribbean  influences led by multi-inst. composer/producer Oliver Belz.

*Club Des Belugas & Anna Luca: "Set Fire To It All" (How To Avoid Difficult Situations 2021) European nu jazz/lounge band with wide ranging international influences. AL: German sing/songwr.

*The Dining Rooms: "Art Is A Cat feat. Beatrice Velasco Moreno" (Art Is A Cat 2020) Italian jazz & electronic music duo of Cesare Malfatti and Stefano Ghittoni.

*Garage A Trois: "Amanjiwo" (Outre Mer 2005) Jazz, rock, funk band feat. Stanton Moore on drums & Skerik on saxophone.