Bridging the Gap December 24, 2025

*The Kinks: "Father Christmas" (Single-1977) Eng. rock band formed by brothers Ray & Dave Davies. They were part of the British Invasion of the early 60s. Father Christmas has a typically Brit. working class perspective as written by Ray Davies.

*Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra: "My Favorite Things" (A Very Ping Pong Christmas...2007) Shawn Lee is an Amer. prod. comp. multi-inst. living in London. He has released 11 albums under the "Ping Pong Orch." name.

*Bela Fleck & The Flecktones: "Jingle Bells feat. Alash Ensemble" (Jingle All The Way 2008) Bela Fleck is an Amer. banjo virtuoso & comp. playing jazz, bluegrass, classical & world music. Alash Ensemble is a Tuvan throat band from Russia.

*El Michels Affair: "Dhuaan feat. Piya Malik" (Yeti Season 2021) EMA is an NYC funk, soul, hip hop band founded by prod. comp. multi-inst. Lee Michels in 2002.

*Susheela Raman: "Vel Undu" (Vel 2010) S Raman is an acclaimed Brit. Tamil musician singer. Her music is built on the sacred Bhakti & Sufi traditions of India & Pakistan.

*The Bombay Royale: "Khubsoorat Bewafa" (The Island Of Dr. Electrico 2014) Australian 11 pc. band from Melbourne. Their music is inspired by Bollywood & western styles of music. Led by 'skipper' Andy Williamson on sax.

*Black Pumas: "I'm Ready" (Black Pumas 2019) Austin TX psych. soul group feat. prod. comp. guit. Adrian Quesada & sing/songwr. guit. Eric Burton.

*Crowd Company: "Get Used To It" (Lowdown 2020) London based 8 pc. soul/funk band with grooving interplay between their Hammond organ and tight horn section. A modern take on classic soul & funk.

*Cesar Rosas: "Shack And Shamb" (Soul Disguise 1999) Mexican sing/songwr. guit. who grew up in LA best know as a singer & guitarist for Los Lobos.

*The Cheebacabra: "Looking For My Brother" (Pass The Information 2012) Psych funk fusion band The Cheebacabra is Paul Cheever. He is the brother of the late Aja West (The Mackrosoft) and formerly worked with the Dust Brothers.

*Clutchy Hopkins: "Miles Chillin'" (The Story Teller 2010) We may ever know the true identity of the mysterious CHopkins. Just dig on the music that we have and consider it a gift from the music gods.

*The Electones: "A Dreamless Sleep Will Do Just Fine" (If You'll Be Null, I'll Be Void 2009) Hallvard Hagen, Jens Petter Nilsen & Rita Augestad Knudsen are The Electones. Hagen & Nilsen are also Xploding Plastix from Norway.

*Blue States: "First Steps..Last Stand" (First Steps Into... 2007) Electronic downt. music from Brit. musician Andy Dragazis.

HOUR 2

*Betty Davis: "Come Take Me" (Betty Davis 1973) Betty Davis (Mabry) was an Amer. model, funk & soul singer known for her wild live performances. She was Mrs. Miles Davis from 1968-70.

*Baby Charles: "Hard Man To Please" (Baby Charles 2008) Brit. soul/funk band fronted by Dionne Charles (vox) & comp. bassist Simon Hill.

*Randa And The Soul Kingdom: "What You Need" (What You Need 2011) R&B band from Perth Aust. with lead singer Randa Khamis who was born in Jordan & raised in Perth. Prod. by Aussie funk master Lance Ferguson.

*Makaya McCraven: "Dark Parks feat. Jeff Parker" (Hidden Out!-EP 2025) Prolific jazz drummer, comp. & prod. Makaya McCraven is known as a "cultural synthesizer." He blends past & present to create his own unique sound.

*Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orch.: "Dung Gate" (Tension 2024) M Astatke is known as the "father of Ethiojazz." Hoodna Orch. is an Afrobeat band from Tel Aviv Israel.

*Soel: "Shining Pain" (Memento 2003) Soel is French jazz trumpeter Pascal Ohse pays tribute to his Ghanaian roots with the name Soel on his part acoustic/part electronic soul & funk classic. He is a member of St. Germain with Ludovic Navarre.

*Speech: "Braided Hair feat. Neneh Cherry & Ulali" (1 Giant Leap 2002) Amer. rapper Speech (Todd Thomas) was a member of Arrested Development when he joined the intl. 1 Giant Leap project of Electo duo Duncan Bridgeman & Malcom Catto. Neneh Cherry is a Swedish sing. & Ulali are a Native Amer. women's a cappella group.

*Chicago Afrobeat Project; "I No Know feat. Tony Allen & Ugochi" (What Goes Up 2017) CAbP is a world music ensemble playing afrobeat, hip hop, funk, jazz & rock. Tony Allen is Afrobeat pioneer & original drummer for Fela Kuti. Ugochi is Chicago based Nigerian sing/songwr. Ugochi Nwaogwugwu.

*Ikebe Shakedown: "No Going Back" (Kings Left Behind 2019) Brooklyn based IS plays cinematic soul, afrofunk, deep disco & boogaloo with a tight horn section & deep pocketed grooves. 

*The Herbaliser: "Some Things" (Bring Out The Sound 2018) Eng. jazzy hip hop prod. duo of Ollie Trattles & Jake Wherry disbanded in 2020.

*Espen Horne: "La Psychosomnie" (The Anatomy Of Serene Eloquence 2024) Norwegian prod. comp. Espen Horne (Bobby Hughes Experience & BH Combination) brings together an international cast for this georgeous album.

*Pit Baumgartner & Joo Kraus: "Past In The House" (Low Sky Sketches 2014) Germ/Aust. prod. comp. Pit Baumgartner of De-Phazz & long time collaborator Germ. comp. trumpeter & keyboardist Joo Kraus.

*Shawn Lee's PP Orch.: "Away In A Manger" (A Very PP Xmas...2007) Amer. prod. comp. multi-inst. Shawn Lee.