Bridging the Gap February 26, 2025

*Makaya McCraven: "The Title" (In These Times 2022) M McCraven is an Amer. jazz drummer, comp. & prod. who started playing drums in his father's drum ensemble at age 5. 

*Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: "Black Love" (Jazz Is Dead 19 2023) Amer. comp. arr. prod. A Younge teams with DJ, comp. prod. & rapper Ali Shaheed Muhammad to pay tribute to jazz greats.

*David Nesselhauf: "The Calling" (A Guide To Afrokraut III 2023) German bassist & comp. David Nesselhauf fuses krautrock & afrobeat into his own 'afrokraut.' He is a founding member of Diazpora & is featured on bass in Hamburg Spinners.

*Anoushka Shankar: "Monsoon" (Traces Of You 2013) AS is an Indian sitar player, comp. from London. She is the daughter of Ravi Shankar and half sister of Norah Jones. She plays classical, contemporary, acoustic & electronic styles.

*Dorothy Ashby: "Little Sunflower" (Afro-Harping 1968) Amer. jazz harpist & sing. D Ashby introduced the harp as a lead instrument in the jazz idiom.

*Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: "See You Again" *Year Of The Funky 2017) Bei Bei He is a Chinese ghuzeng master,  comp. & teacher. Shawn Lee is an Amer. multi-inst. comp & prod. living in London. Bei Bei & Shawn have produced two albums together.

*Alogte Oho & His Sounds Of Joy: "O Yinne!" (O Yinne! 2023) Alogte Oho is the no. 1 Frafra gospel artist in Ghana. He met and collaborated with Max Weissenfeldt (Poets Of Rhythm) and became a global player.

*Almon Memela: "Ntshonalanga" (Funky Africa 1975) Almon Memela is a So. Afr. guitarist, comp. & prod. He moved to Johannesburg to work in the mines, but three years later he began his recording career.

*Jabula: "Mathome" (Africa Awake 1978) Jabula was a So. Afr. ensemble of musicians exiled in England during the apartheid era. In addition to their own albums, they also performed with Brit musician Mike Oldfield.

*Say She She: "C'est Si Bon" (Silver 2023) Say She She is a Brooklyn based female led band feat. Piya Malik (London), Nya Gazelle Brown (Wash DC) & Sabrina Miles Cunningham (NYC.) They've been described as "a glorious overload of joyous elation and spiritual elevation."

*Pizzicato Five: "Triste" (The Band Of 20th Century... ) P5 was a Jap. group led by musician, comp. & DJ Yasuharu Konishi with lead singer Maki Nomiya. 

*Ursula 1000: "Repetez Le Repertoire feat. Isabelle Antena" (Mondo Beyondo 2011) Ursula 1000 is NYC prod. & multi-inst. Alex Gimeno. He melds multiple influences into his signature 'retro-future' sound. I Antena is a French pop & jazz singer.

*Makala: "Makalambo (Inst. Mix)" (Makala Presents Global Funk... 2018) Makala is Mikel Unzurrunzaga Schmitz a DJ, musician & prod. from the Basque Country of Spain.

HOUR 2

*RJD2: "Saboteur feat. Phonte Coleman" (Dame Fortune 2016) RJD2 is Ramble Jon Krohn born in Oregon, but became hip hop/electro. DJ RJD2 in Columbus, Ohio. He started as a prod. and grew into a solo artist as well as producing beats for other artists. P. Coleman is a singer/rapper from N. Carolina.

*Thievery Corporation: "Marching The Hate Machines feat. Frank Orrall" (Symphonik 2020) Amer. electronic duo of Rob Garza & Eric Hilton met in Wash. DC's Eighteenth St. Lounge & mix elements of many genres to create their music. Frank Orrall was a founding member of Poi Dog Pondering.

*PM Warson: "True Story" (PM Warson-True Story 2021) PM Warson is part of the UK's vibrant modernist R&B scene. He recorded this live to tape debut album just before the pandemic hit in 2020.

*Rosalia De Souza: "Samba Lounge" (D'Improvviso 2009) Rosalia De Souza is a Brazilian bossa nova singer exuding "appeal and magic, sensuality and mysticism." This album is representative of a wide array of the Brazilian musical experience.

*Buscemi: "Lua Bonita feat. Tai" (Mistral Du Sud 2021) Belgian prod. & DJ Dirk Swartenbroekx is Buscemi. Embracing brazilian grooves, afro, bossa, house, electro, balkan beats & dub.

*Bossacucanova: "A Pedida E Samba feat. Eliza Soares" (Nossa Onda E Essa! 2012) Brazilian group combining trad. bossa with electronic music feat. Marcio Menescal, DJ Marcelinho DaLua & prod. eng. Alex Moreira.

*Blktop Project: "A New Line" (Concrete Jungle 2016) Pro skaters Tommy Guerrero, Ray Barbee & Matt Rodriguez played together while road tripping for SLAP magazine. They later added drummer Chuck Treece & became Blktop Project.

*Tommy Guerrero: "A Thousand Shapes Of Change" (Sunshine Radio 2020) T Guerrero, guit. comp. & pro skater plays solo & with Blktop Project & Lord Newborn & The Magic Skulls.

*Ray Barbee: "Tina Cut" (Tiara For Computer 2018) Pro skater, comp. & multi-inst. Ray Barbee plays with fellow skaters in Blktop Project. He released his debut EP, Galaxia, in 2003. He is sponsored by Fender Guitars.

*Roy Ayers: "Priscilla's Theme" (Coffy Soundtrack 1973) Amer. funk, jazz & soul vibraphonist, comp. & prod. Roy Ayers began in post-bop jazz & became a pioneer of jazz funk.

*Reminiscence Quartet: "Peace Of Mind" (More Psycodelico 1999) French acid jazz/downt. group prod. by French prod. DJ & remixer Bob Sinclair (Christophe Le Friant.)

*Sly5thAve. : "Love Me" (Composite-EP 2017) Sylvester Uzoma Onyejiaka II is Amer. multi-inst. comp. prod. arr. Sly5thAve. 

*Inf: "My Happy Song" (Music For Crime Scenes 2013) Rapper, prod. remixer Bas Te Braak is Inf. He resides in Holland and has become a legendary DJ in his home country.