Bridging the Gap April 30, 2025

*Sun Atlas: "Cure The Sick" (Return To The Spirit 2024) Transcendental outernational funk & psych. jazz from mystery LA based collective Sun Atlas. The group wear masks & costumes to hide their identity and put the focus entirely on the music.

*Oluma: "Felantropique" (Cooking Time 2024) Founded in 2021 by bassist comp. Gregor Nicolai drummer comp. Andre Van Der Heide & saxophonist comp. Roman Polatzky playing Afrobeat, jazz & funk with Brazilian influences.

*Alpacas Collective: "Surrounded" (Big Words 2023) Belgium based Alpacas Collective has influences from Lagos to Addis Ababa, Augusta Ga. to New Orleans & from Delhi to sci-fi realms incorporated in their expansive sound.

*Omegaman: "The Sands Of Time feat Emily Molloy" (Universal Rhythm 2022) Australian DJ, comp. prod. musician Marc Scully is Omegaman. He is well known in Australia as a touring musician, & collaborator. E Molloy is a versatile singer from Vancouver, BC.

*Ghost Funk Orchestra: "Bluebell" (A New Kind Of Love 2022) GFO was created by comp. prod. multi-inst. Seth Applebaum. Rochester NY singer Christine Chanel sings lead.

*Wax Poetic: "Beautiful feat. Natalie Walker" (On A Ride 2012) Wax Poetic is a NY based trip hop band founded by Turkish musician/comp./prod. Ilhan Ersahin with vox by Amer. sing/songwr. Natalie Walker.

*The Mighty Show-Stoppers: "Hippy Skippy Moon Strut" (Black Feeling 2007) This album is actually a project of Australian comp. guit. Lance Ferguson feat. members of The Bamboos covering & reworking classic funk tracks with made up band names.

*Max Sedgley: "Devil Inside" (From the Roots To The Shoots 2006) Brit. prod. multi-inst. & DJ Max Sedgley performs live with his band MS & The Shoots.

*The Bamboos: "Black Foot" (Step It Up 2006) Australian deep funk outfit from Melbourne formed by comp. prod. multi-inst. Lance Ferguson in 2001.

*The Bahama Soul Club: "Night Breeze feat. Olvido Ruiz" (Havana '58 2016) BSC were born in Germany but now based in Portugal & led by comp. prod. eng. Oliver Belz. Olvido Ruiz is a Cuban born sing. comp. living in Germany.

*Bobi Cespedes: "Mi Canto" (Mujer Y Cantante 2020) Sing. comp. perc. Bobi Cespedes was born in Havana Cuba & is also a Yoruba-Lucumi priestess. 

*Femina: "Brillando" (Perlas Y Conchas 2019) Argentinian folk fusion trio Femina consists of sisters Sofia 'Toti' Trucco (vox guit. ronroco) Clara 'Wewi' Trucco (vox perc. flute) & Clara Miglioli (vox, guit.)

*Bajofondo: "Flor De Piel (Inst.)" (Aura 2019) Bajofondo are a group of So. Amer. musicians from Argentina & Uruguay playing contemporary music from the Rio De La Plata.

HOUR 2

*Barrio Jazz Gang: "Kobra Smile" (2 2010) Prod. comp. & DJ Rob Colella has been playing guit. since age 12. Guit. prod. Stefano Micarelli joins him in their passion for world music, tribal beats & exotic grooves.

*Soulstance: "Soul Ensemble" (Life Size 2003) Italian musicians the Lo Greco brothers Enzo (bass, guit. flute & keys) & Gianni (drums & perc.) are influenced by easy swinging Brazilian music & 70s groove.

*Modulo5: "Please, Moog Me!" (Soundsational Movements 2007) Born from an idea by Italian DJ Dave Masoch and later augmented by keyboardist Paolo "Apollo" Negri, Modulo5 play soul/funk Hammond grooves with a wide variety of other influences.

*New Visionaries: "Scandinavian Railways" (Roadmaps 2024) UK based Australian artist Joel Sarakula (keys bass & guit.) got together with Dutch musician Phil Martin (drums perc. keys bass & guit.) and created this album during the Covid lockdown in the Netherlands.

*Go.Soul.Map.: "Cat With Camera" (Peaceful Sound For Broken Minds 2024) Sicilian musician prod. Salvo "Dub" Bruno is G.S.M. This debut album is a mellow mix of pop, soul & disco.

*Angels Of Libra: "House Of Zeus" (Revelations 2023) Hamburg Germany soul band feat. prod. guit. Dennis Rux, keys Chris Haertel, bass David Nesselhauf & drums Lucas Kochbeck are fans of analog recording techniques to achieve their lush soul sound.

*Bill Withers: "Use Me" (Still Bill 1972) Bill Withers was a soulful singer & songwr. who began his musical career later in life at age 33 when he released his first album in 1971 while still a mechanic for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.

*Black Pumas: "I'm Ready" (Black Pumas 2020) Austin TX prod. multi-inst. comp. A Quesada teams up with sing/songwr. Eric Burton on this modern Texas soul production.

*Brownout: "You've Got To Change" (Berlin Sessions 2020) Originally formed as a side project of Grupo Fantasma & feat. A Quesasa & Beto Martinez, Berlin Sessions was prod. by Los Lobos member Steve Berlin. Anthony Farrell is an Austin TX sing/keyboardist.

*The Cactus Channel: "X-Ray Bear" (Wooden Boy 2013) Melbourne Australia funk & soul band formed in high school with a shared love of soul, hip hop & jazz & an overriding eclecticism that fuels their ever evolving sound.

*El Michels Affair: "Life Of Pablo" (Adult Themes 2020) NYC based funk, soul & hip hop band founded by prod. comp. multi-inst. Leon Michels.

*The Budos Band: "Ghost Talk" (V 2019) Amer. inst. funk & afrobeat band from Staten Island NY. formed in 2005 feat. guit. prod. Thomas Brennek playing 70s psych. inst. music.

*Anderson .Paak: "Anywhere (Inst.)" (Oxnard (Inst. 2018) Amer. musician prod. from Oxnard Ca. Formed Silk Sonic with Bruno Mars in 2021.