Bridging the Gap August 6, 2025

*Go.Soul.Map.: "Fall Into The Flame feat. Derane Obika" (Peaceful Sound For Broken Minds 2024) Sicilian musician, prod. Salvo "Dub" Bruno is Go.Soul.Map. Along with London based Nigerian singer Derane Obika he explores moody and atmospheric soul with a thoughtful message.

*TheEEs: "The Feel feat. Cappuccino" (Temptations Of Sound 2023) TheEEs are prod. guit. Claus Hartisch & prod. keys Andre Neundorf. Cappuccino is German MC Karsten Lowe.

*Blundetto: "Only One Stand feat. John Milk" (World Of... 2015) Blundetto is French prod. DJ, sing. comp. Max Guiguet playing electro, funk, soul, reggae, dub, jazz, hip hop & world music.

*Bronx River Parkway: "San Sebastián 152" (San Sebastián 152 2008) BRP is a NY Latin band that formed from a jam session at Soul Fire studios, which became The Diamond Mine in 2014.. BRP continues to push the boundaries of modern Latin music.

*AfroCubism: "A La Luna Yo Me Voy" (AfroCubism 2010) AfroCubism is a super group of Cuban & Malian musicians feat. Eliades Ochoa & the late kora player Toumani Diabate. This was supposed to be the project that ended up changing to Buena Vista Social Club when the Malians couldn't get visas.

*Buena Vista Social Club: "Chan Chan" (Buena Vista Social Club 1997) BVSC is a collection of Cuban musicians gathered to revive the music of pre-Revolutionary Cuba organized by record exec. Nick Gold & prod. by Amer. guit. Ry Cooder.

*Buscemi: "Gipsy Soul feat. Lynn Verlayne" (Nite People 2012) Belgian musician & journalist Dirk Swartenbroekx is Buscemi plays funky dance music in a variety of styles. He performs live with his band Squadra Bossa. Lynn Verlayne is a Belgian sing/songwr. prod. living in NYC.

*Eric Lau: "Lily Of The Desert feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow" (One Of Many 2013) ELau is a Brit. soul prod. & DJ from London. Georgia Anne Muldrow is a soul singer & prod. originally from LA Ca.

*Esperanza Spalding: "Unconditional Love" (Emily's D+Evolution 2016) Amer. bassist, sing/songwr. & comp. She began playing violin in the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at age five. She has won 5 Grammys.

*Kiyoshi Yamaya & Kifu Mitsuhashi: "Hohai-Bushi" (Wamono Groove... 2022) This project is a compilation of Jap. musicians from 1976. 'Hohai-Bushi' feat. Kifu Mitsuhashi on Jap. shakuhachi (bamboo flute.)

*Shigeru Suzuki: "Noa Noa" (Pacific 1978) Shigeru Shizuki is a Jap. guitarist born in the 1950s. Pacific is an inst. album feat. comp. by Jap. artists like Haruomi Hosono & Shigeru Suzuki.

*Harry Hosono & The Yellow Magic Band: "Shambahala Signal" (Paraiso 1978) H Hosono is one of the most influential figures in Jap. pop music history. He founded YMO w/Ryuchi Sakamoto & Yukihiro Takahashi.

*Masayoshi Takanaka: "Gascon Cocktail" (Takanaka 1977) Jap./Chinese guit. M Liu changed his name when he became a Jap. citizen in 4th grade.

HOUR 2

*Monsieur Blumenberg: "Sciabadabada" (Musique Et Couleurs 2001) M Blumenberg is a solo project of Italian sing. sax player & prod. Federico Montefiori taking time away from Montefiori Cocktail where he plays with his twin brother Francesco.

*Puddu Varano: "What About The Girls" ((Star 70 2000) Danish duo Morten Varano & Alex Puddu played together from 1997 through 2003.

*Modulo5: "Please, Moog Me!" Soundsational Movements 2007) Italian project from an idea by prod. & DJ Dave Masoch who met Hammond B3 player Paolo 'Apollo' Negri in 2006 and solidified the sound.

*Diazpora: "Royals" (Ping Pong Powerplay 2020) Diaspora is a Hamburg funk band feat. Lucas Kochbeck dr, David Nesselhauf bass, Christoph Hinrichsen keys & guit. Legbo.

*David Nesselhauf: "Transneptunians (II) feat. Soulamadou" (Afrokraut II... 2018) D Nesselhauf is a German bassist, comp. & prod. fusing elements of krautrock & afrobeat. He plays with The Hamburg Spinners & Diazpora.

*Kojato: "Good Morning Africa feat. Britta Rex" (All About Jazz 2011) Kojo Samuels from Monrovia Liberia is Kojato. With multi-inst. prod. Oliver Belz & multi-inst. & Andre Neundorf on keys the sound is solid. Also feat. German sing/songwr comp. Britta Rex.

*Koko-Jean & The Tonics: "Down On My Knees" (Love Child 2024) KJ &The Tonics are a soul, R&B, funk & groove band from Barcelona. Koko-Jean Davis on vox, Anton Jari on dr, Dani Baraldes on guit. & Victor Puertas on Hammond organ.

*Maiiah & The Angels Of Libra: "I Wanna Go" (M&TAOL 2023) Marija Samardzic is Maiiah with roots in the Balkans but raised in Dusseldorf. She met guit. prod. Dennis Rux & their shared love of soul music & R&B led to this album.

*Gizelle Smith & The Mighty Mocambos: "Love Alarm" (This Is... 2009) French sing/songwr comp. Gizelle Smith teams with multi-inst. prod. comp. Bjorn Wagner & his Mighty Mocambos to elevate the soul & funk.

*Frank Zappa & The Mothers: "Dog Breath, In The Year Of The Plague" (Uncle Meat 1968) Amer. comp. guit. conductor & prod. In the 60s 70s & 80s he combined rock, jazz, R&B & symphonic music. A true Amer. original & staunch defender of the 1st Amendment.

*Xploding Plastix: "Behind The Eightball" (Behind The Eightball 2001) Norwegian duo of Hallvard Hagen & Jens Petter Nilsen playing electro/funk with elements of jazz.

*RJD2: "Temperamental (Inst.)" (In Rare Form Vol. 2 ) Amer. hip hop electronic DJ prod. Ramble Jon Krohn.

*The Shaolin Afronauts: "Abyssinian Suite, Pt. 3" (Follow The Path 2014) Adelaide Australia based afrobeat & avant garde jazz band founded in 2008.