Bridging the Gap January 22, 2025

*Xploding Plastix: "Behind The Eightball" (Behind The Eightball 2001) XP is a Norwegian two man band of Hallvard Hagen & Jens Petter Nilsen playing electro/funk, big beat music with elements of jazz.

*Espen Horne: "Rory's Sunways" (The Anatomy Of Serene Eloquence 2023) Espen Horne is a Norwegian prod. comp. musician also responsible for Bobby Hughes Experience & BH Combination.

*Jimi Tenor: "Jazznouveau" (Multiversum 2022) Finnish multi-inst. & comp. J Tenor: real name Lassi Lehto has collaborated with many musicians from afrobeat legend Tony Allen to former wife Nicole Willis.

*James Brown: "Night Train" (Greatest Hits ) James Brown was a dynamic soul singe/songwr. nick-named "The Godfather of Soul." He began his career in 1953 after serving a 4 yr stint in prison for robbery. In 1958 he had his first #1 hit on the R&B charts with "Try Me."

*Brenton Wood: "Oogum Boogum Song" (Oogum Boogum 1967) Brenton Wood (Alfred Jesse Smith) was an Amer. sing/songwr. pianist. Oogum Boogum went to #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.

*Marvin Gaye: "That's The Way Love Is" (M.P.G. 1969) Amer. sing/songwr. & musician Marvin Gaye began his career in the late 50s as a member of The Moonglows & became a solo performer in 1960 when the group disbanded. He died in 1984 when he was shot by his father.

*Kinny & Horne: "Forgetting To Remember" (Forgetting To Remember 2005) Collaboration between Norwegian comp. musician Espen Horne & Norway based sing/songwr. Caitlin Simpson aka Kinny. She is indigenous Canadian/Jamaican/Swedish.

*Kylie Auldist: "Cut You Loose" (Just Say 2008) Samoan-Australian soul & funk sing/songwr. backed by NZ born guit./prod. Lance Ferguson & The Bamboos.

*The New Mastersounds feat. Dionne Charles: "King Comforter" (Plug And Play 2008) British funk band from Leeds, England feat. soul singer extraordinare Dionne Charles who fronted the short lived 'Baby Charles.'

*Nujabes: "The Final View" (Metaphorical Music 2003) Japanese music prod. Seba Jun was Nujabes, his name spelled backwards. He was a hip hop, jazz influenced artist and ran his own record label Hyde Out Recordings. He died in a car accident at age 36.

*Uyama Hiroto: "Taiko" (Freeform Jazz 2016) Hiroto Uyama is a Jap. multi-inst. prod. of hip hop & jazz who collaborated frequently with Nujabes. 

*Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media: "That's How I Feel" (WaJazz Legends... ) Jap. saxophonist J Inagaki was central figure in the development of jazz rock in Japan.

*Mondo Grosso: "Thousand Tears Orchestra Instrumental" (Attune / Detune 2018) Comp. prod. Shinichi Osawa works in genres from acid jazz & house to underground club music.

HOUR 2

*Montefiori Cocktail: "Nana Nana" (A Taste Of... 2006) Future jazz from Italian twin brothers Francesco (Kekko) on keys & Federico (Kikko) on sax, flute & vox. The brothers incorporate humor into their rich tapestry of sounds.

*Sam Paglia: "One 4 My Car" (Night Club Tropez 2000) Godfather of Italian Lounge, Sam Paglia plays soul, jazz, lounge & funk on his Hammond organ.

*Modulo5: "Please, Moog Me!" (Soundsational Movements 2007) Italian prod. comp. DJ Dave Masoch is behind Modulo5. With his partner Paulo 'Apollo' Negri on Hammond B3 organ they want people to "get emotional from an original and intense sounds & groove."

*Neil Innes: "Topless-A-Go-Go" (How Sweet To Be An Idiot 1973) Neil Innes was a British writer, musician & comedian. He started the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band with Vivian Stanshall & was responsible for the spot on take on The Beatles songs with Eric Idle in "The Rutles" film & alhums.

*Vivian Stanshall: "I'd Rather Cut My Hands" (Dog Howl In Tune 2023) V. Stanshall was an English sing/songwr., musician, author, poet & wit. He co-founded The Bonzo Dog Band with N. Innes & had a remarkable solo career before perishing in a fire in his London flat in 1995.

*Vivian Stanshall: "Truck-Track" (Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead 1974) MOUA was created by Viv with a group of musicians he gathered to realize his vision including Nigerian musician Gaspar Lawal.

*Ocote Soul Sounds: "Sal Si Puedes" (Single-2021) Founded by prod. comp, multi-inst. Martin Perna (Antibalas) in 2001. Perna wrote plays all the instruments on this single. The title translates to "get out if you can."

*Chakachas: "Soledad" (Chakachas ) Belgian based group of Latin soul & Afrocuban studio musicians with bandleader Gaston Bogaert (Tito Madinez) on perc. & Cuban Karl Kenton on vox.

*Bahama Soul Club: "Something Unique" (Havana '58 2016) German born, Portugal based group blending soul, jazz, bossa, Afrocuban & Caribbean influences led by Italian prod. comp. DJ & musician Oliver Belz.

*Anoushka Shankar: "Traveller" (Traveller 2011) Indian sitar player & comp. A. Shankar was born in London and is the daughter of sitar master Ravi Shankar. Her half sister is Norah Jones. She plays classical & contemporary as well as acoustic & electronic styles.

*Dorothy Ashby: "Joyful Grass And Grape" (The Rubaiyat Of... 1970) Dorothy Ashby was an Amer. jazz harpist, singer & composer who elevated her harp to be a lead instrument in the jazz idiom. 

*Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: "Whiskey Waltz" (Into The Wind 2010) Bei Bei is a Chinese ghuzeng player

comp. & teacher. She mixes Classical Chinese music with contemporary soul & jazz here collaborating with Amer. multi-inst. comp. prod. Shawn Lee.

*Bobbi Humphrey: "Nubian Lady" (Dig This 1972) Amer. jazz flutist & composer & the first woman instrumentalist signed to Blue Note Records in 1971.