Mondo Jazz

Africana to Americana and beyond in the final installment of our retrospective of some of the most memorable tunes we got to hear during the first half of the year. The playlist features Bill Laurance, Michael League; Artemis; Ben van Gelder; Ballaké Sissoko [pictured], Vincent Segal, Vincent Peirani, Emile Parisien; Gangbé Brass Band, Kala Jula, Fama Diabaté; Magic Malik; Ethnic Heritage Ensemble...

Last week we focused our playlist on some of our favorite tracks from the first six months of the year. Evidently two hours were not enough and we could not play them all… so here we are going through the rest of the best. The playlist features Vicente Archer; Enzo Carniel, Hermon Mehari, Damien Varaillon, Stéphane Adsuar; John Hadfield [pictured], Kinan Azmeh; Vinnie Sperrazza, Ethan Iverson, Mic...

A retrospective of some of the most compelling tunes we heard in the first half of 2023, distilled for your enjoyment. The playlist features Michael Blake; Thomas Naïm; Greg Ward; Lucia Cadotsch; Alessia Obino; David Preston; Ella Zirina; Kaisa's Machine; The Peggy Lee Band. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/17583788/Mondo-Jazz (from "Little Demons" onwards). Happy listening! Photo...

The first half of the year has brought us plenty of great new albums. Let's look back at some of the tunes and compositions which have left a mark during these six months. The playlist features Billy Valentine; Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar, Abe Rounds; Greg Joseph; Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, Lauren Henderson [pictured]; Anat Fort; Gaia Wilmer; Magos Herrera; David Virelles; Sam Bardfeld....

Ambition does not have to be an expression of self-centeredness. It may be, and should be, the pursuit of high achievements, and the realization of broad and innovative visions. This playlist is bursting at the seams with music driven by the good kind of ambition... The playlist features Yilian Cañizares; David Virelles; Ken Stubbs; Darren Johnston; John Hadfield; Camille-Alban Spreng, Benjamin Sa...

This week we focus on a bunch of projects that put in a blender lots of seemingly disparate elements and come up with their own signature sounds, from the edgy to the smooth. The playlist features Kaisa's Machine; Jacob Young; Kosmos; Sketchbook Quartet; Erik Friedlander's Sentinel; Mowgli; Debora Petrina; Echoes of Zoo; Christine Tobin; and Louis Stewart. Detailed playlist at (up to "Invitation")...

This week we looking into both the jazz side of Prince, including the unexpressed potentials of his collaboration with Miles Davis, as well as covers of his music by notable jazz players from Nina Simone to Joshua Redman. The playlist features Nina Simone; Malcolm Braff; Madhouse; Miles Davis; Marcin Wasilewski; Joshua Redman; Julia Hülsmann; Heinz Sauer, Michael Wollny Detailed playlist at https:...

Prince who would have turned 65 this year. He may have left us over 7 years ago, but the influence of his music continues unequalled, including on the world of jazz, with which he's often flirted. Here a selection of some of the most interesting examples of "purple jazz", including some extended jamming by Prince himself. The playlist features Helen Sung; The Volunteered Slaves; T.J. Kirk; Santi D...

A remembrance of Karl Berger, the stunning new album by Magos Herrera [pictured], and a whole bunch of projects you can find along the Johannesburg-New York-Chicago expressway. The playlist features also Sam Butler; Kirk Knuffke, Jay Anderson, Matt Wilson; Gretchen Parlato, Lionel Loueke; Magos Herrera; Ken Stubbs; Asher Gamedze; Good Intentions; Scree; Malcolm Jiyane Tree-o & Grandmaster CAP. Det...

A tribute to Tina Turner opens a show featuring music characterized by a deliberate desire to blur the lines between jazz and other genres, be it pop, R&B, world music or church music, and to do so with the most wonderful arrangements. The playlist features Herbie Hancock; Don Braden; Selma Savolainen; Le Cri du Caire, Abdullah Miniawy, Erik Truffaz, Peter Corser; Ben Van Gelder; Matt Ulery; and R...

From projects inspired by African traditions to jazz spiked with hard-rock, passing through some fascinating chamber influences, this week's playlist showcases the creativity, breadth and depth of today's international jazz scene. The playlist features Kala Jula & Gangbé Brass Band [pictured]; Peter Somuah, Stevo Atambire; Samuele Strufaldi; Ze in the Clouds, Paolo Fresu, Uri Caine; Rudy Royston;...

This week we focus on two of the most vibrant scenes in Northern Europe, Amsterdam and Berlin. Along the way we hop from Copenhagen to New York with a few more stops on the way. Enjoy some of the freshest jazz projects out there. The playlist features Lucia Cadotsch, Kurt Rosenwinkel; Petter Eldh, Sun-Mi Hong; Deadeye; Michele Sannelli; Mariasole De Pascali [pictured]; Lukas Traxel; Tilo Weber; Gi...

Around the world in a playlist, which features Latin and Caribbean influeces, touches of Indian music, spiritual jazz, Brazilian aromas, microtonal atmospheres, and visceral electro-acoustic outbursts. The playlist features Kevin Fingier; Samuel Blaser [pictured]; João Selva; Michael Blake; Clément Janinet; Aka Moon, The Orchestral Constellation; La Marmite Infernale. Detailed playlist available a...

A special focus on the deep, eclectic and exciting LA scene in this hour of Mondo Jazz, which then concludes with an unearthed gem by Chet Baker from the late 70s. The playlist features Mark Guiliana [pictured]; Jeff Babko, Tim Lefebvre; Rachel Eckroth; Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar, Abe Rounds; Dorian Holley, Nayanna Holley; Billy Valentine; and Chet Baker. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron...

This week we focus on three fascinating releases which celebrate the genius and legacy of Don Cherry, after starting with a tribute to Led Zeppelin, Emma Rawicz's new project, one of the best piano trios I've heard in a long time, lead by a drummer, and new music by Michael Formanek. The playlist features Francesco Bearzatti; Emma Rawicz; Vinnie Sperrazza, Ethan Iverson, Michael Formanek; Peter Br...

Welcome to an edition of Mondo Jazz under the sign of groove and high energy feelgood releases. The playlist featured Jakob Manz; Leon Lee Dorsey; Izo FitzRoy; Joel Harrison; Wayne Tucker; Robin Mansanti; Miku Yonezawa [pictured]; The Jazz Avengers; Diego Rivera; Filthy Six; Genevieve Artadi; Yumi Ito; Sarah Elizabeth Charles. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/17269003/Mondo-Jazz (...

Here is our weekly merry-go-round of recent and upcoming albums, which this time will feature great saxophonists, up and coming composers, and various projects showing that jazz is the most inclusive genre out there, welcoming any source of inspiration from Baroque to Brazilian to Flamenco. The playlist features Walter Smith III; Riccardo Gola; Felipe Salles, Melissa Aldana; Ben Rosenblum; Cyro Ba...

Cécile McLorin Salvant, Ben Wendel and Kurt Rosenwinkel [pictured] are the threads bridging the various parts of this week's show which, in turn, is like a bridge between Europe and the US. The playlist also features Jacques Schwarz-Bart; Kerkko Koskinen, Linda Fredriksson. UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra; Angel Bat Dawid; Aki Takase; Next. Ape; Jim Snidero; and Tobias Meinhart Detailed playlist at ht...

Strings, strings and more strings in this episode... from those of Brandee Younger's and Dorothy Ashby's harps, to those of the Ulysses String Quartet; from those of the guitars of Marc Ribot, Mariusz Sobanski and Guillaume Vierset, to those of the basses of Meshell Ndegeocello and Clovis Nicolas. The playlist features Hot Mustard, Alanna Royale; Brandee Younger; Meshell Ndegeocello, Julius Rodrig...

Experiments, from Chicago and elsewhere, technical mastery offset by sense of humor, jazz as sonic story-telling, and transfiguration of jazz standards are some of the main sources of inspiration for this episode. The playlist features Greg Spero; John Zorn, Bill Frisell, John Medeski, Brian Marsella, Kenny Wollesen; Camille Bertault; Daniel Bingert; Michael Blake; Yelena Eckemoff; Francesca Han [...

This week we dedicate our show to two artists who--even though very far apart in terms of geographical origins and life trajectories, shared a devotion to beauty, elegance and originality: Ryuichi Sakamoto and Emahoy Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou, who recently passed away. The playlist features also Cesária Evora, Caetano Veloso; Arto Lindsay; Vinicius Cantuaria; Adam O'Farrill; Rachel Eckroth; Francesca...

This week we focus on the emerging musicians that will ensure that the historic South African jazz scene will have a bright future, and on a number of recent releases showcasing the many facets of a living master of the piano, Kenny Barron, featured as an accompanist for a vocalist, as a solo artist on a rare recording date as a leader, as a composer that inspires other contemporary musicians, and...

This week we open with a stunner, Billy Valentine's new album featuring the best of the Los Angeles and New York Scenes (Pino Palladino; Jeff Parker, Theo Crocker; Larry Goldings; Abe Rounds; Immanuel Wilkins; Linda May Ahn) and music that should bring much deserved attention. Then a mix of exciting releases, with a special focus on pianist a few moments that evoke the ghost of Nick Drake. The pla...

Los Angeles and New York are the two poles of this playlist document the vibrancy of these two scenes, and their cross-pollination, including the reissue of the iconic Wattstax Benefit Concert, a dive into new releases by Colorfield Records, a jazz look at the Erykah Badu's and Kendrik Lamar's songbook, and the reimagining of Pharoah Sanders' songs. The playlist features Ben Zwerin; Rufus Thomas;...

The exciting collaboration between Sexmob [pictured] and Scotty Hard and that involving Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar and Abe Rounds open an episode focusing also on soundtracks, beat poetry and poetry of the beat, before closing with a sonic voyage by Tim Berne, Hank Roberts and Aurora Nealand. The playlist also features Daniel Villarreal; Burt Bacharach; Thomas Newman, John Beasley, Monk'estra;...