Bridging the Gap January 14, 2026

*De-Phazz & Ralf Gustke: "Yam Yam" (...presents De-Drums 2024) De-Phazz is a Germ. 'lounge' nu jazz band formed by prod. sound-painter Pit Baumgartner. De-Drums pays tribute to the contribution of the drummers that have joined the group over the years. Ralf Gustke is a Germ. drummer who began at 10.

*Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band: "Tropical Heat" (55 2016) BRSB is a funky steel band from Hamburg Germ. led by multi-inst. Bjorn Wagner who also leads the Mocambo Allstars.

*Anderson .Paak: "Anywhere (Inst.)" (Oxnard Inst. 2018) Amer. prod. rapper, sing/songwr. He embraces funk, soul & hip hopin his musical approach and has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre & Bruno Mars.

*Anoushka Shankar: "Monsoon" (Traces Of You 2013) A Shankar is a Brit.-Amer. sitar player, comp. & activist. She was the youngest artist to receive the Brit. House of Commons Shield. She is the daughter of Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar.

*Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: "Little Sunrise" (Into The Wind 2010) Bei Bei is a Chinese ghuzeng player, comp. & teacher living in Orange County, Ca. Shawn Lee is an Amer. prod. comp. multi-inst. living in London.

*Kiyoshi Yamaya & Kifu Mitsuhashi: "Asadoya Yunta" (Waimomo Groove... 1976) Kiyoshi Yamaya is Jap. comp. bandleader. Kifu Mitsuhashi is a master of the shakuhachi (Jap. flute) & Toshio Yonekawa is a koto player & comp.

*Koko-Jean & The Tonics: "Down On My Knees" (Love Child 2024) KJ & The Tonics are a groovy soul & blues band from Barcelona Sp. with sing. Koko-Jean Davis, lead guit. Dani Baraldes, drums Anton Jari & Hammond Groover Victor Puertas.

*Gizelle Smith & The Mighty Mocambos: "Out Of Fashion" (This Is... 2009) G Smith is a French sing/songwr comp. & artist. The Mighty Mocambos are innovative funk artists on the German scene led by multi-inst. prod. & DJ Bjorn Wagner.

*Marta Ren & The Groovelvets: "Summer's Gone (Didn't Swim)" (Stop Look Listen 2016) Marta Ren is a powerful Portuguese singer who's backing band The Groovelvets is led by bassist & musical director Sergio Marques.

*Adrian Younge vs. Adrian Quesada: "Last Word (Ints.)" (Same-EP 2012) AYounge is an Amer. comp. prod. musician & AQuesada is an Amer. guit. comp. & multi-inst.

*Aja West & Cheeba: "The Arrival" (Flash & Snowball 2005) Aja West was an Amer. funk maestro & leader of The Mackrosoft teaming with his brother Cheeba (Paul Cheever) to pay homage to their childhood pets.

*BADBADNOTGOOD: "Mid Spiral" (Mid Spiral 2024) BBNG is a Canadian jazz group & prod. team feat.  Chester Hansen on bass, Matthew Tavares on keys & Alexander Sowinski on drums.

*Bill Frisell: "Who Was That Girl?" (Unspeakable 2004) Amer. jazz guitarist & comp.

HOUR 2

*Bahama Soul Club: "Muevelo Papi (Club Des Belugas Remix)" (The Havana Remixes 2017) BSC are led by Germ. multi-inst. prod. comp. Oliver Belz currently based in Portugal. Vox by Cuban sing. Olvido Ruiz.

*Novalima: "La Danza" (La Danza Pt. 1-EP ) Novalima is an Afro-Peruvian band mixing trad. instruments with a "little touch" of synths, bass, electronic beats & electric guitar. Vox by Peruvian sing. Milagros Guerrero.

*Las Cafeteras: "Tiempos De Amor" (Tastes Like L.A. 2016) Latino band from East LA fusing spoken word with trad. Mexican folk music to express socially conscious themes & honor their culture. Lead vox by Leah Gallegos & Denise Carlos.

*Lack Of Afro: "Game Day" (I'm Here Now2020) Brit multi-inst. prod. comp. & DJ Adam Gibbons also runs his own music label "The Bastion Music Group."

*Vito Lalinga: "Niodior" (Explorations 2025) Italian funk master Vito Lalinga once again shows his mastery of jazz & funk on a global scale. He has lived and breathed music since the age of 6 when he taught himself guit.

*The Greyboy Allstars: "Inland Emperor" (Inland Emperor 2013) The GB Allstars are a soul jazz band from San Diego Ca. They formed slowly after sax player Karl Denson collaborated with DJ Greyboy & they formed Greyboy Records.

*Gil Scott-Heron: "No Exit" (Moving Target 1982) Amer. sing. comp. activist & spoken word artist GSH was a progenitor of hip hop & rap music. His politically charged output with Brian Jackson was highly influential.

*Blundetto: "Walk Away Now feat. Jahdan Blakkamoore" (Warm My Soul 2012) French DJ, sing. comp. & prod. Max Guiguet is Blundetto. J Blakkamoore is a sing/songwr. born in Guyana & raised in Brooklyn.

*The Wailers: "Small Axe" (Burnin' 1973) Jamaican reggae & ska group feat. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer. When Peter & Bunny left the grp they became Bob Marley & The Wailers. They brought reggae music to a worldwide audience.

*The Jazz Defenders: "Net Zero" (Memory In Motion 2024) Brit. jazz quintet feat. George Cooper on piano. He is known as one of the top jazz pianists in the UK.

*Skeletons: "Gravel" (Smile 2010) Brit. comp. prod. songwr. & guit. Benedic Lamdin produced this album from bits & pieces of music leftover from sessions with various musicians he played with.

*Sly5thAve: "Love Me" (Composite-EP 2017) Multi-inst. comp. prod. Sylvester Uzoma Onyejiaka II from Austin TX.

*Naoki Kenji: "Move" (Ecoustic 2004) Jap.-Germ. electro artist Naoki Kenji aka Uwe Schmidt stared his career as a keyboard player in Tokyo & Osaka.