Bridging the Gap March 5, 2025

*Orgone: "Who Knows Who?" (The Killion Floor 2007) Orgone is an Amer. band from LA driven by Dan Hastie (keys) & Sergio Rios (prod. guit.) playing funk, soul & afrobeat. They are joined by Amer. sing/songwr. Fannie Franklin.

*Greyboy: "Got To Be A Love" (Soul Mosaic 2004) Greyboy aka Andreas Stevens is an acid jazz DJ, prod. comp. playing hip hop, soul, funk & acid jazz rare grooves. He's also co-founder of the band The Greyboy Allstars. The late R&B diva Sharon Jones sings on this cut.

*Flevans: "Hold On feat. Sarah Scott" (27 Devils 2009) Flevans (Nigel Evans) is a Brit. funk, soul & electronic multi-inst. prod. & DJ. 27 Devils was Flevans' first sample free LP. Sarah Scott is a Brit. soul sing/songwr. from Bristol.

*Thunderball: "Make Your Move feat. Mustafa Akbar" (12 Mile High 2010) Wash DC based T-ball consists of Sid Barcelona, Steve Raskin, Rob Myers & Jon Horvath now recording under the name The Fort Knox Five. Mustafa Akbar was a socially conscious sing/songwr. who passed away in 2019.

*Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere: "Imperfect World" (Nudge It Up A Notch 2008) S. Cropper was the guitarist for the legendary Booker T & The MGs & a songwr. & prod. F. Cavaliere is sing/songwr. prod. & was lead singer for The Young Rascals.

*Ry Cooder: "Don't Mess Up A Good Thing" (Bop Till You Drop 1979) Ry Cooder is an Amer. guit. sing. & comp. initially known for his slide guitar. He is a blues rocker with deep interest in Roots music of all types.

*Quasamodo & The Q Orchestra: "The Indian Job" (The Big Picture 2014) Q is Greek prod. Dimitris Nassios. Q began their musical journey in 2006 & their funk, soul & disco sound continues to bring the energy.

*Chris Joss: "Zingy Twangs" (Sticks 2009) Chris Joss is a French multi-inst. prod. who suffers from hyperacusis & misophonia which increases sensitivity to sounds. It is amazing that he can still produce his varied & often loud music.

*El Michels Affair: "Fazed Out" (Yeti Season 2021) NYC based funk, soul & hip hop band founded by Amer. multi-inst. prod. & songwr. Leon Michels. EMA recorded their first album 'Sounding Out The City' in 2004 and Michels described the sound as "Cinematic Soul."

*The Echocentrics: "Muerto En Vida feat. Natalia Clavier" (Echo Hotel 2016) Multi-inst. prod. comp. Adrian Quesada forms yet another band to play his psych. soul/funk/rock that may not quite fit with his other groups. Natalia Clavier is an Argentinian singer.

*Femina: "Palpita Y Goza" (Perlas & Conchas 2019) Femina is Argentinian folk & fusion group feat. Clara Miglioli, vox & guit. Sofia "Toti" Trucco, vox, guit. & ronroco & Clara "Wewi" Trucco, vox, perc. & flute.

*Adrian Quesada & Tita: "El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes" (Boleros Psicodélicos 2022) Another AQ side project! Quesada heard some old boleros on late night Texas radio and immediately fell for the sound. He recruited his favorite singers to help him make this album. This track features Guatemalan indie pop sing/songwr. Tita Moreno.

*Bajofondo: "Caminante" (Presente 2013) Bajofondo is a So. Amer. band from Uruguay & Argentina playing contemporary music from the Rio De La Plata.

HOUR 2

*BADBADNOTGOOD: "IV" (IV 2016) BBNG is a Canadian jazz ensemble & prod. team feat. Chester Hansen, bass, Matthew Tavares, keys & Alexander Sowinski, drums. Joined by Leland Whitty in 2016 they play hip hop, jazz & alternative music.

*The Jazz Defenders: "Wagger Jaunt" (King Phoenix 2022) Bristol UK based quintet feat. one of the UK's most sought after keyboardist/comp./prod. George Cooper.

*Groove Collective: "Balimka" (Groove Collective 1994) Amer. jazz/funk combo from NYC formed in the early 90s feat. keys/comp./prod. Itaal Shur, perc. Gordan "Nappy G" Clay & vibraphonist Bill Ware.

*Ebo Taylor: "Kwame (Inst.)" (Love & Death 1977) E. Taylor is Ghanaian guit. prod. comp. focusing on highlife & afrobeat music. He is an influential figure in Ghanaian music since the 1950s.

*Hedzoleh Soundz: "Mee Bee (When)" (Hedzoleh Soundz 1973) Hedzoleh means freedom. They were formed in Ghana in the late 60s by leader Stanley Todd Kwesi to represent a more traditional African sound and compete with Osibisa.

*Gyedu-Blay Ambolley: "Adwoa" (Simigwa 1975) Highlife musician, songwr., comp. & prod. from Ghana known as The Godfather of 'hiplife' the fusion of hip hop & highlife. He helped transform the genre fusing highlife, funk & jazz.

*Hattler: "Teaser" (Velocity 2018) Helmut Hattler is a German comp. prod. & bassist extraordinaire. His unmistakable artistry sets him apart from his peers. His music features electronic sounds, ethnic quotes & soulful vocals by German vocalist/dancer Fola Dada.

*Kinny & Horne: "Dignity" (Forgetting To Remember 2005) Caitlin Simpson (Kinny) met E. Horne in his native Norway. He wanted to produce her, having extensive experience with his own Bobby Hughes projects and other artists. This soul jazz funk reggae & hip hop inflected album is the result.

*Lack Of Afro: "Fires Glow feat. Emma Noble" (Hello Baby 2016) Brit. multi-inst. prod. & DJ Alan Gibbons is Lack Of Afro. A reviewer noted that "as a fairly nerdy looking white guy...there was never going to be an afro involved in his vintage funk stylings." Emma Noble is a Brit. sing/songwr. & DJ.

*Larry Coryell: "Beauty And Failure" (LC with The WideHive Players 2011) L. Coryell was an Amer. jazz guitarist widely known as "The Godfather of Fusion" for melding country, rock & jazz music. He was also a teacher & writer. Wide Hive Players are the de facto house band for Wide Hive Records.

*Charlie Hunter: "No Money, No Honey" (Everyone Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The Mouth 2016) Amer. jazz, rock & fusion guitarist, comp. prod. C. Hunter plays custom made 7 & 8 string guitars & plays basslines, chords & melodies simultaneously.

*Ronny Jordan: "No Pay, No Play" (Off The Record 2001) Ronny Jordan was a Brit. guit. prod. & comp. He described his music as "urban jazz" a mix of hip hop, jazz & R&B. He passed away in 2014 in London.