Mondo Jazz

Here's a playlist focusing on Orchestras, Big Bands and String Quartets, at the intersection of jazz, classical, folk and Brazilian music. The playlist features Vitor Araújo, Metropole Orkest, Jacomo Bairos; Kurt Elling, WDR Big Band; Thomas Clausen Trio, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Jean Thorel; Palle Mikkelborg [pictured]; Francesco Bearzatti; NO(w) Beauty; Vision String Quartet; Kris Davis, an...

Enjoy another playlist dedicated to recent and upcoming releases, where curiosity still rules, and the music often comes from just around the corner… or halfway across the world, Madrid to New York; Amsterdam to London; Brussels to Melbourne. The playlist features Marco Mezquida; Julian Lage; Fabio de Almeida; ALA.NI; Manolo Cabras; Jeremy Rose; Tomeka Reid [pictured]; and Craig Taborn. Detailed p...

This playlist explores electro-acoustic projects shaped by atmosphere, texture, and studio-driven imagination, many of them drawing from the muddy, ambient legacy of Jon Hassell’s “Fourth World.” The journey then shifts focus to the next generation, closing with two emerging trombonists. The playlist features SML; I Hold the Lion's Paw; Sheldon Agwu [pictured]; TL;DR; Nabou Claerhout; and Kalia Va...

Enjoy a playlist that showcases a series of tributes connecting today’s European scene with the legacy of American jazz masters—from Don Cherry to Charlie Haden and Steve Lacy—alongside the remarkable work of established and up-and-coming composer-arrangers such as Michael Leonhart and Rebecca Trescher. The playlist features Shake Stew; Michael Leonhart; Rebecca Trescher; Stéphane Kerecki [picture...

This episode -- bookended by drummers who are also adventurous composers and bandleaders -- explores the evolving landscape of contemporary jazz. The playlist unfolds as a sonic journey, moving seamlessly from introspection to collective energy and reflecting the dynamic, genre-defying nature of today’s scene. The playlist features Sebastian Rochford; Tortoise; Dishwasher_; Britta Virves; Beiggja;...

A set for piano lovers, with a particular focus on recent and newly issued solo recordings which explore spontaneity, lyricism, and the quiet intensity of unaccompanied playing, from Antonio Faraò’s balanced mix of freedom and structure to the poetic restraint and emotional clarity of Frank Kimbrough, Bugge Wesseltoft, and Shai Maestro, before arriving at one of Keith Jarrett’s late solo concert s...

Enjoy a playlist that brings together energy, intimacy, and creative identity, moving across projects that blur boundaries between electric and acoustic, structure and freedom. From the personal, groove-inflected vision of Maurício Fleury’s debut to the explosive collective force of Gard Nilssen’s expanded Acoustic Unity, the music thrives on momentum and risk. This set also focuses on Aaron Parks...

Large ensembles are the guiding thread of this segment, approached not as monuments but as flexible, expressive forces shaped by strong compositional voices. From a landmark Sonny Criss reissue with arrangements by Horace Tapscott to Miho Hazama’s stunning reimagining of Thad Jones’ legacy, Dan Rosenboom’s genre-blurring large-ensemble work, and a freshly restored, richly orchestrated album by Car...

Enjoy the final playlist previewing the upcoming edition of the Winter JazzFest: a compressed, high-voltage snapshot of what jazz sounds like right now, and a rare chance to hear musicians who are not based in New York. The playlist features David Binney, Louis Cole, Pera Krstajic; AMG; Kassa Overall; Celia Kameni [pictured]; Hamilton de Holanda; Sam Gendel, Nate Mercerau. Detailed playlist at [fr...

Here's playlist previewing projects and bands that will help the upcoming Winter JazzFest to launch the new jazz year. The playlist features ARMO; Nels Cline; Either/Orchestra; MAE.SUN [pictured]; daoud; Cochemea; and Hanging Hearts. Detailed playlist at [from "The Visit" to "Rise"]. Happy listening!

With the 2026 edition of Winter JazzFest just around the corner, here we focus on some of the artists arriving in New York from elsewhere to briefly reshape the city’s soundscape. The playlist features Amy Gadiaga; Corey Fonville, Sam Fribush, Morgan Burrs; The Getdown; Mario Canonge; Brandon Woody; and Bex Burch. Detailed playlist at [up to "You Thought You Were Free?"]. Happy listening!

Enjoy the last installment of our retrospective dedicated to the songs discovered over the past six months that left a lasting impression. The playlist features The Five Corners Quintet; Makiko Hirabayashi; Rufus Wainwright, Pacific Jazz Orchestra; Brad Mehldau; Anthony Wilson [pictured]; and Roberto Ottaviano. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/21722582/Mondo-Jazz [from "Lighthouse...

As we come to the end of another year, it feels like a good moment to pause—not to summarize everything, but to listen back. This episode is built around songs that lingered, resurfaced, and quietly insisted on being remembered. The playlist features Jérémie Lucchese; Chaerin Im [pictured]; Emiliano D'Auria; Ron Blake; James Brandon Lewis; Jakob Bro, Joe Lovano, Larry Grenadier, Thomas Morgan, And...

This episode of Mondo Jazz isn’t about rankings or best-of lists. It’s about memory. Over the past six months, certain pieces of music kept calling us back. Among them, are the tunes in this playlist. The playlist features Luca Curcio; Bram De Looze, Hank Roberts, Thomas Morgan, Joey Baron; Trond Kallevåg; Wojtek Mazolewski; Louis Sclavis; Charles Lloyd [pictured], Jason Moran, Marvin Sewell. Deta...

In a year that often felt overwhelming, music remained a place of focus and meaning. This episode of Mondo Jazz brings together the songs from the past six months that helped make sense of the noise—or at least gave us a reason to lean in and listen. The playlist features Funkwrench Blues [pictured]; Anne Drummond; Donny McCaslin; Vincent Peirani; SFJAZZ Collective; and Don Was & The Pan-Detroit E...

The past six months have delivered more music than anyone could possibly absorb in real time. So this week, instead of trying to keep up, we slow things down and look back—focusing on the songs that earned repeat listens and slowly made a home in our ears. The playlist features Charlie Hunter, Ella Feingold; Craig Taborn, Nels Cline, Marcus Gilmore; Saha Gnawa; Nels Cline Consentrik Quartet; Zé Ib...

Rather than looking back at the year as a whole, here we concentrate on the second half. What you’ll hear are the songs that stayed close, long after the initial listen. The playlist features Oddjob; Nicholas Payton, Esperanza Spalding, Karriem Riggins; Flea (pictured); Carmen Staaf; Max Nagl; Jason Moran, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra; Amir ElSaffar. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/2...

Here is another dip into the river of new albums, focusing releases (and re-releases) worth holding on to. The playlist features The Jazz Passengers, Jeff Buckley; Bill Ware, the Club Bird All Stars; Patricia Brennan; Csaba Palotai; Rosa Brunello; Pharos. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/21657081/Mondo-Jazz [from "Jolly Street" onwards]. Happy listening! Photo: Mariagrazia Giove.

Here's a playlist featuring musicians paying tribute to where they come from, geographically or artistically... The playlist features Emiliano D'Auria; Dayna Stephens; Charles Lloyd; Jérémie Lucchese; James Newton. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/21657081/Mondo-Jazz [from "Chasing the Flicker" to "Reincarnation of a Lovebird"]. Happy listening! Photo: Evan Goldstein.

Enjoy an episode that revolves around projects that forge compelling bridges between jazz and African music, from Benin to Madagascar, Mali, Senegal and Tunisia. The playlist features Nicolas Genest, Chris Potter; Raphaël Pannier, Khadim Niang; Aka Moon, Doudou N'Diaye Rose; Clément Janinet, Mah Damba; Dhafer Youssef; Bobo & Behaja. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/21657081/Mondo-...

Enjoy a selection featuring A-listers who know how to collaborate and set their egos aside, plus an unearthed live gem from Horace Silver. The playlist also features Lakecia Benjamin, Patrick Zimmerli, SFJAZZ Collective & Horace Silver. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/21516856/Mondo-Jazz [from "Samba e ammore" to "The Great Lie"]. Happy listening!

Mighty albums documenting live performances of ambitious creativity, and artists that turned their interest in different, often faraway cultures are at the heart of this compelling playlist. The playlist features Amirtha Kidambi, KNOBIL, Mattias Risberg, Maria Pia de Vito & Henri Texier. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/21516856/Mondo-Jazz [from "Samba e ammore" to "The Great Lie"...

Here is your weekly antidote to background music, where we lean in, listen close, and find what’s truly worth hearing. And there's plenty of gems worth hearing in here, with a special focus on remarkable singers like Rufus Wainwright, Theo Bleckmann and Terry Callier. The playlist also features Tineke Postma, Anne Mette Iversen, Theo Croker and Sullivan Fortner. Detailed playlist at https://spinit...

Whether born in the heart of Detroit, captured in the stillness of a London church at night, or inspired by cinematic visions of Norwegian immigration to Minnesota, the music in this playlist invites you into sound worlds that captivate and reward at every turn. The playlist features Dave McMurray; Don Was, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble; Kenny Barron; Trond Kallevåg [pictured]; Bill Laurance; Kenny Bur...

Here is a playlist that gives the drummers some, actually more than some as it focuses exclusively on records released by remarkable modern drummers, and composers/bandleaders like Makaya McCraven, Sam Ospovat, and Johnathan Blake. The playlist features Jonathan Blake; Makaya McCraven [pictured]; and Sam Ospovat. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/21481826/Mondo-Jazz [from "Last Bre...