Bridging the Gap July 16, 2025

*Taj Mahal: "Blackjack Davey" (Mo' Roots 1974) Henry St. Claire Fredericks is Amer. blues/rock vox multi-inst. songwr. legend Taj Mahal. He chose that name from dreams he had about Mahatma Ghandi, India & social tolerance.

*Shuggie Otis: "Act Uh Mi Hed" (Inspiration Information 1974) Amer. sing/songwr multi-inst. who began performing at age 11 with his father Johnny Otis' band disguising himself with sunglasses & a fake mustache.

*Bob Marley & The Wailers: "Put It On" (Burnin' 1973) Jamaican reggae & ska band The Wailers formed in 1963 and gave rise to Bob Marley & Peter Tosh. Bob Marley became the most iconic performer & spokesperson in the history of reggae.

*The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger: "Devil You Know" (Midnight Sun 2014) Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl are GOASTT. He is a multi-inst. sing/songwr. & son of John Lennon & Yoko Ono. She is an Amer. model, sing/songwr. & multi-inst. as well. She also directed music videos for her band, Uni.

*The Flaming Lips: "All We Have Is Now" (Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots 2002) Amer. psych rock band formed in 1983 & led by Wayne Coyne, vox, guit. bass & keys.

*Gomez: "Sound Of Sounds" (In Our Gun 2001) Brit. indie rock band formed in Southport in 1997. At an early gig they put out a sign "Gomez in here" for a friend whose name was Gomez. People assumed that was the name of the group and it stuck.

*Hattler: "Faking News" (Sundae 2021) Famed German bassist, comp. prod. Helmut Hattler continually reinvents himself by being a musical wellspring with an unmistakable artistic identity. Fola Dada is a Germ. vox & dancer.

*De-Phazz: "Lonelyless Big Business feat. Antonia Hausmann" (Luck You! 2025) Downt. German nu jazz band led by comp. prod. Pit Baumgartner. A Hausmann is a German trombonist.

*Club Des Belugas & Maya Fadeeva: "Save A Little Love For Me" (Chameleon 2018) CdB is one of the foremost nu jazz ensembles in Europe led by Maxim Illion (Martin Kratzenstein) & Kitty The Bill (Katrin Stoeffel.) Maya Fadaeeva is a Russian/German sing/songwr. & prod.

*Clutchy Hopkins & Lord Kenjamin: "Cold And Wet" (Music Is My Medicine 2009) C Hopkins is the musical mystery man. No one is letting who he is or where his music comes from. Lord Kenjamin is supposedly a medicine from the island of Barbados who hand made his percussion instruments.

*Lord Newborn & The Magic Skulls: "Disco Loco" (LN & TMS 2009) Funky psychedelic music from Money Mark, Shawn Lee & Tommy Guerrero after they secluded themselves in Money Mark's studio for. 2 weeks.

*Lorenzo Morresi & Le Isole: "Allegro Funerario" (Pop Flop 2023) DJ, prod. & multi-inst. L Morresi works his jazz magic between the UK & Italy researching new sounds & combining genres. Le Isole is Italian musician/prod. Luciano Cantone.

*Makala Jazz Funk Band: "5 Sense (Inst. Mix)" (Xake! 2015) Mikel Unzurrunzaga Schmitz is Makala. He is a DJ, musician, prod. & remixer.

HOUR 2

*Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela: "Coconut Jam" (Rejoice 2020) Nigerian drummer, comp. & songwr. T Allen helped create Afrobeat when he was the drummer for Fela Kuti. H Masekela is famed So. Afr. trumpeter & anti-apartheid activist.

*Kora Jazz Trio: "Djanffa" (Part IV 2018) Kora Jazz Trio is a 3 pc. African group from Guinea & Senegal combining Amer. jazz with traditional African music.

*Almon Memela: "Ntshonalanga' (Funky Africa 1975) So. Afr. guit. prod. comp. Almon Memela is legendary in So. Afr. music. He is a self taught guitarist who played for Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks.

*Ocote Soul Sounds: "Look Sharp" (El Niño Y El Sol 2004) Founded by comp. multi-inst. Martin Perna in 2001 and later joined by comp. prod. multi-inst. Adrian Quesada when he and Perna met in Austin TX.

*Bidaide: "Nave Madre" (Nave Madre-Single 2020) Soul, funk, psych rock & reggae swirl in Barcelona's Bidaide sound. They began as a duo and blossomed into a vibrant band.

*Blundetto: "Mama Genso" (Cousin Zaka Vol. 2 2022) French DJ, sing. comp. Max Guiguet is Blundetto playing electro funk, soul, reggae, dub, jazz, hip hop & world music.

*Kat Eaton: "Lottery Ticket" (Talk To Me 2021) Brit. sing/songwr Kat Eaton writes songs with her husband Nick Atkinson. They write when the feel compelled to. When she sings she tries to completely surrender to the music.

*Alice Russell: "Lights Went Out" (Pot Of Gold 2008) A Russell is a Brit. soul singer who has sung with Quantic, The Bamboos, TM Juke & Nostalgia 77 among others. She has a vibrant solo career, as well.

*Lack Of Afro: "Fires Glow feat. Emma Noble" (Hello Baby 2016) Brit. multi-inst. prod. & DJ Adam Gibbons is Lack Of Afro. He is a giant in the UK funk & soul world. Emma Noble is a Brit. soul singer & designer.

*Brian Jackson, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: "Under The Bridge" (JID008 2021) Legendary Amer. jazz artist B Jackson teams with AY & ASM to create 8 original songs on this 8th release of the Jazz Is Dead series.

*Makaya McCraven: "Half Steppin'" (Universal Beings E&F Sides 2020) Amer. experimental jazz artist M McCraven creates his songs by paring down live performances & distilling them to their essential best.

*The Jazz Defenders: "Wagger Jaunt" (King Phoenix 2022) UK jazz powerhouse led by pianist comp. George Cooper.

*Jazz Juice: "Jody Grind" (52nd Street 2006) Collaboration between DJ Graham B & Alain Eskinasi delivers bright energetic nu jazz with a Brazilian bent.