Bridging the Gap May 28, 2025

*Alex Puddu: "In Your Bedroom" (Japanese Videotapes 2024) Alex Puddu is an Italian multi-inst. comp. & sing. now based in Copenhagen. He was formerly in Puddu Varano with Danish keys player Morten Varano.

*Mondo Grosso: "Kemuri (Retune) feat. Rhyme" (Attune/Detune 2018) Jap. musician, prod. comp.  Shinichi Osawa is Mondo Grosso. Rhyme is an Australian poet & sing.

*Coma-Chi: "Inori" (Jomon Green 2018) Coma-Chi is a Jap. rapper, sing., astrologer & label owner: Queen's Room. She uses hip hop, soul & trad. Jap. sounds.

*New Visionaiies: "Giallo Days" (Roadmaps 2024) Prods. multi-insts. Joel Sarakula (Australia) & Phil Martin (Netherlands) are the creators behind New Visionaries. They came together during the COVID lockdown.

*Beat Bronco Organ Trio: "One Way" (Another Shape Of Essential Sounds 2023) Spanish jazz, funk & soul trio feat. Gabriel Casanova (vox, keys. comp.) Lucas De Mulder (guit. comp.) & Antonio Pax (drums, perc. comp.)

*Monsieur Blumenberg: "Love In Tokyo (Gigi El Amoroso Remix)" (Japanite-EP ) One half of Montefiori Cocktail, Federico Montefiori (Kikko) on sax, flute & vox splits from his twin brother Francesco (Kekko) for this solo effort.

*Public Service Broadcasting: "Monsoons" (The Last Flight 2024) PSB is a London based band feat. J. Willgoose, Esq. on guit. banjo & elec. insts. Wrigglesworth on drums, piano & elec. insts. & JF Abraham on flugelhorn, bass & drums. This record focuses on "The Last Flight" of Amelia Earhart.

*Ghost Funk Orchestra: "To The Moon" (A Trip To The Moon 2024) Comp. prod. multi-inst. Seth Applebaum continues his excursions into cinemantic soul & psych rock feat. real transmissions from the Apollo moon missions.

*Public Service Broadcasting: "Gagarin" (The Race For Space 2014) PSB is back focusing on the space race of the 1960s. Using archival recordings to help dramatize their exploration of the personalities & breakthroughs of the time. Yuri Gagarin was virtually unknown in the US, but well known globally.

*Coco Robicheaux: "Cryin' Inside" (Spiritland 1995) Coco Robicheaux was an Amer. blues musician & artist born is California but associated mainly with New Orleans.

*Jon Cleary: "Would I Lie To You?" (Moonburn 1999) Pianist/vocalist & songwr. Jon Cleary was born in Kent, England, but identified with N.O. so much that he made it his adopted home in 1980.

*Dr. John: "Look Out" (Parlophone Years ) Amer. sing/songwr. Mac Rebennack was Dr. John. He got his break in the 50s and played session gigs for people from Sonny & Cher to Frank Zappa. He combines N.O. music with voodoo culture and became "Dr. John The Night Tripper."

*Walter "Wolfman" Washington: "Funkyard" (Ain't No Funk Like N.O. Funk 1998) N.O. born Amer. sing. songwr. & guit. played with his backing band The Roadmasters.

HOUR 2

*Susheela Raman: "Mamavatu" (Salt Rain 2001) Susheela Raman is a London born Brit. Tamil musician. She features the Sufi & Bhakti traditions of India & Pakistan in her music.

*El Michels Affair: "Dhuaan feat. Piya Malik" (Yeti Season 2021) NYC funk, soul & hip hop band formed by multi-inst. prod. comp. Leon Michels around 2002. PMalik is an Indian sing/songwr.

*The Bombay Royale: "Bhediya" (Run Kitty Run 2017) The Bombay Royale is a big band from Melbornne led by "The Skipper" Andy Williamson inspired by Bollywood soundtracks & western styles of music.

*Edwyn Collins: "A Girl Like You" (Gorgeous George 1994) Scottish sing. songwr. musician & prod. Former lead singer for Orange Juice until the band split up in 1985. "A Girl Like You" was a global hit.

*Orange Juice: "Falling And Laughing" (You Can't Hide Your Love Forever 1982) Scottish post punk band from Glasgow. Edwyn Collins was the consistent face of the band through line-up changes.

*The English Beat: "End Of The Party" (Special Beat Service 1982) Their music fused Latin, ska, soul, pop, reggae & punk with Dave Wakeling on vox & guit. & additional vox by rapper/toaster Ranking Roger.

*Frente Cumbiero: "Puente Del Papa" (Inconcreto & Asociados 2025) Frente Cumbiero is one of the leaders of the Cumbia Nueva movement in Colombia. Led by songwr. & prod. Mario Galeano they create a unique sound that stays true to the cumbia roots of the 60s & 70s.

*Flowering Inferno: "Echate Pa'lla" (Dog With A Rope 2010) Tropicana reggae & dub project from Brit. comp. prod. multi-inst. Will Holland aka Quantic during his time living in Colombia.

*Cumbia All Stars: "La Pirmavera Triste" (Tigres En Fuga 2014) Legends of Peruvian cumbia come together after 40 years to play classic songs & new compositions that reinvigorate the authentic cumbia sounds of the past.

*Entourage: "Tarbox Poltergeist (Alternate Take)" (Ceremony Of Dreams 2018) Entourage Music & Theatre Ensemble was an ambient music group performing in theaters in combination with dance ensembles.

*Bonobo: "Days To Come (Inst.)" (Days To Come 2006) Brit. musician, prod. & DJ based in LA, Simon Green experiments with jazz & world music while incorporating elec. instrumentation & organic sounds.

*Clutchy Hopkins & Fat Albert Einstein: "Pre Vintage" (High Desert Low Tide 2017) Musical mystery man Clutchy Hopkins is joined by comp/prod. multi-inst. Christoper Vagnoni (Fat Albert) for this downt. funk folk excursion.

*The Deadbeats: "Just Another Day" (Made In The Shade 2009) Brit. hip hop downt. duo of Damian Stanley & Ged Day are The Deadbeats