Bridging the Gap May 14, 2025

*Nujabes: "Horn In The Middle" (Metaphorical Music 2003) Jap. hip hop, jazz & downt. prod. comp. Seba Jun (Nujabes is the backward spelling) was known for his collaboration on the anime Samurai Champloo series & his unique take combining  hip hop & jazz.

*Uyama Hiroto: "Climbed Mountain" (A Son Of The Sun 2008) Uyama Hiroto is a Jap. sax. multi-inst. & prod. who collaborated frequently with Nujabes.

*Bohemianvoodoo: "Lying On the Sheep's Back" (Bouquet-EP 2020) Jap. jazz band known for their 'dramatic development' & 'exhilarating drive' in their inst. compositions have been together since 2008.

*Kind & Kinky Zoo: "Poulpe Fiction" (Swamp! 2022) K&KZ are a 4 pc. inst. funk band from Lausanne Switz. feat. drums (Silly Syl), bass, (Adrien Knecht), flute (Dollar Bill) & a Fender Rhodes (Trade Mark) to play their psychedelic funk & afrobeat.

*Medeski Martin & Wood: "New Planet" (End Of The World Party (Just In Case 2004) Amer. prog. avant garde funk, jazz & post rock trio. John Medeski keys, comp., Billy Martin drums & Chris Wood on bass.

*The Electones: "Right Foot From Left" (If You'll Be Null, I'll Be Void 2009) Norwegian jazz, electronic, pop band feat. Jans Petter Nilsen, Hallvard Hagen & Rita Augestad Knudsen (vox.) Nilsen & Hagen are the duo Xploding Plastix.

*Magda & Banda Magda: "Aurore" (For Spring 2024) Banda Magda is a group of international musicians led by Greek comp. singer, pianist & accordionist Magda Giannikou. She sings in multiple languages incl. Spanish, French & Greek.

*Thievery Corporation: "La Force De Melodie feat. Lou Lou Ghelickhani" (Treasures From The Temple 2018) Amer. electronic duo Rob Garza & Eric Hilton met at the famous Eighteenth St. Lounge in Wash. DC in 1995. They are still producing beautiful electronic music. Lou Lou is Austin TX sing. keys player.

*Isabelle Antenna: "La Pecheresse A La Ligne" (Late Night Reworks ) Isabelle Antenna (Powaga) is a French pop & jazz singer who became popular in Japan where she collaborated with Kyoto Jazz Massive & Jazztronik.

*The Tikiyaki Orchestra: "Bombs Away!" (Tropika 2023) TTO is a modern exotica septet based in LA & led by multi-inst. & comp. Jim Bacchi. They play trad. exotica, Hawaiian music, surf music, crime jazz, lounge music and space age pop.

*The Waikiki 7: "Similau" (New Sounds Of Exotica 2010) Exotica music from Hawaii born bassist Randy Wong & his cast of top shelf musicians showcasing Hawn/Polynesian, Latin & jazz sounds of classic exotica through a modern sensibility.

*Don Tiki: "Turkish Delight" (South Of The Boudoir 2009) Masterful exotica from Hawaii's own Kit Ebersbach (Perry Coma) & Lloyd Kandell (Fluid Floyd) assembling a cast of world class musicians & playing their unique brand of humorous & campy exotica.

*Les Baxter & His Orch.: "Lord, What A Morning" (Walk On The Wild Side ) Amer. comp. conductor & musician known as an originator of exotica, though there is controversy about his real contributions.

HOUR 2

*Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics: "Electricone" (LM & The H... 2010) Lloyd Miller was a musician & musicologist known for his work with Persian & Afghan music. The H's core is Malcom Catto (dr.) Jake Ferguson (b) & Jack Yglesias (organ & perc.) playing Sun Ra inspired "cosmic" alternative music.

*Misha Panfilov & Shawn Lee: "Deep Sea Oddities" (Paradise Cove 2020) M Panfilov is an Estonian multi-inst. prod. Shawn Lee is an Amer. multi-inst. comp. prod. now living in London.

*Nickodemus: "Do You Do You?" (A Long Engagement: Inst. 2018) Nicolas DeSimone is a NY DJ prod. running his own Wonderwheel Recordings label. He connects world music & scenes collaborating with a wide variety of artists: Innov Gnawa, The Candela Allstars & Africa Bambaata to name a few.

*Osaka Monaurail: "Pick Up The Pieces One By One" (Eyewitness To The... 2005) OM is a Jap.funk soul group from Osaka. They are led by Roy Nakata on vox & keys.

*Poets Of Rhythm: "Survival Of The Freshest" (Discern/Define 2001) German funk band from Munich founded by Jan Weissenfeldt (guit. prod.) & Boris Geiger (prod. comp. sing. multi-inst.)

*The Quantic Soul Orchestra: "That Goose On My Grave" (Pushin On 2005) Eng. multi-inst. prod. comp. Will Holland (Quantic) put together this live band to play raw funk and feat. his sister Lucy on sax.

*Mongo Santamaria: "Afro Blue" (Mongo 1959) Ramon Santamaria Rodriguez was M Santamaria a Cuban rumba quinto master & Afro-Cuban latin jazz percussionist. He was a leading figure in the pachanga & boogaloo dance crazes of the 60s in the US.

*Tito Puente & His Orch.: "Hong Kong Mambo (Master Take #2)" (King Of Kings... ) Tito Puente was a Puerto Rican Latin bandleader, jazz, salsa & mambo musician & conguero. He also played vibes, drums, piano, sax & clarinet, but he was known as "King Of The Timbales."

*Cal Tjader: "Mambo Mindoro" (La Onda Va Bien 1980) Cal Tjader was an Amer. latin jazz musician, artist & comp. He was best known for his exemplary vibraphone talent but also played drums & bongos.

*South Froggies: "Nu Jazz Connection" (Nu Jazz Factory 2007) Electronic nu jazz band formed in 2000 by Jean-Luc Prosperi aka DJ Rubio. South Froggies play 'a sensual flow of jazzy textures & rhythms and bass ridden beats.'

*St. Germain: "So Flute (Ludovic Navarre Amapiano Deep Sunny Mix)" (Extra Cabin Baggage 2021) St. German is French pioneer of French house/nu jazz music Ludovic Navarre. His desired sports career was derailed by an accident & led him to the musical path he is now on.

*Jethro Tull: "Bouree" (Stand Up 1969) J Tull is an English rock group formed in the 60s by Ian Anderson (vox, flute) playing blues rock with an experimental flavor.

*Dorothy Ashby & Frank Wess: "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" (In A Minor Groove 1958) Amer. jazz harpist D Ashby teaming with Amer. jazz flutist, sax. & comp. Frank Wess.