This week we continue our exploration of jazz interpretations of today's popular music, with renditions of the songs of artists ranging from Kraftwerk to Sly Stone, from Bjork to Frank Zappa, from J.J. Cale to Bob Marley and more. The playlist includes Jimmy Smith, Miho Hazama, Michel Benita, Eva Kruse, Eric Schaefer & Michael Wollny's [em], Dave Douglas, Tuck & Patti, Ran Blake & David Fabris, Sting & Gil Evans Orchestra, Yuri Honing, Nicole Johänntgen, Stefano Bollani, Vibes, Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra, Spaceways Inc. & Zu, Chet Baker, Magic Malik Orchestra, Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, Charlie Hunter, Herbie Hancock. Full playlist at: https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&playlist=8138#her Listen →

The compositions that we refer to as "jazz standards" were the pop songs of their time, before gradually developing into mainstays of the jazz repertoire. This week we focus on jazz interpretations of today's popular music, with renditions of the songs of artists ranging from Marvin Gaye to Sonic Youth, from Prince to Led Zeppelin, from Ray Charles to Paul Simon, from Donald Fagen to Bob Dylan and more. The playlist includes: John Scofield, Paul Desmond, Cannonball Adderley, Erik Friedlander, Sidsel Endresen & Bugge Wesseltoft, The New York Composers Orchestra, Joe Pass, Donald Byrd, Bill Frisell, Malcom Braff, Jewels and Binoculars, Vincent Peirani, Chris Lightcap, Bill Evans, Stefano Bollani, Júlio Resende, Nels Cline, Ernst Reijseger & Franco D'Andrea, Etienne Charles. Detailed playlist available at https://spinitron.com/radio/index.php?station=rfb&playlist=8093#her Listen →

For decades jazz standards have provided improvisers with both a vehicle and a testing ground for their creativity. In some cases they have taken more liberties than others. This week we focus on not-so-standard renditions of jazz standards, from "Take Five" to "My Favorite Things", from "Mood Indigo" to "'Round Midnight"! Two hours of jazz played with boundless creativity and a good dose of humor. The playlist features Farmers Market; Uri Caine; Steve Houben - Jacques Pirotton - Stephan Pougin; Adam Benjamin; Django Bates; Rahsaan Roland Kirk; Hank Roberts; John Zorn - George Lewis - Bill Frisell; Roy Paci; Paul Motian; Manu Codjia - Geraldine Larent - Christopher Marguet; Steve Argüelles; Ran Blake; Björk; Orquestra Mahatma; Roy Nathanson & Anthony Coleman; Daniel Humair; Mostly Other People Do the Killing; Elliott Sharp; Cassandra Wilson; Joey Baron; Kashmere Stage Band. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&playlist=7986#her Listen →

This week we'll go through a heap of outstanding new releases, ranging from tributes to seminal albums like Soul Station by Eli Degibri and the Far East Suite by Pierre Bertrand, to new releases by master pianists like Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau (in an unreleased duo with Charlie Haden!), Aaron Parks and Simone Graziano. Seasoned avant-veterans on ECM (Andrew Cyrille with Leo Smith and Bill Frisell) and vociferous rising stars on Blue Note (Ambrose Akinmusire and James Francies). Special treats come from the surprising tribute to Jun Miyake by saxophonist Dairo Miyamoto and the adventurously captivating projects by bassist-against-borders Kave Rastegar, the BABAorchestra, the SLUGgish Ensemble, David Dominique, the Sketchbook Quartet and David Ullman. Happy listening! Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&playlist=7925#her Listen →

This week we will explore the cross pollination between jazz and popular music genres, like pop, rock, soul, funk and ska. Archie Shepp playing with Whitney Houston? The jazz beginnings of Björk, Serge Gainsbourg, Sacha Distel? Ornette Coleman's and Sonny Rollins' adventures in rock-land? Lester Bowie playing ska? How Miles Davis' "So What" inspired Pee Wee Ellis' horn lines for James Brown's "Cold Sweat"? Paul Simon's latest album with Bill Frisell and Wynton Marsalis? Stevie Wonder jamming with Dizzy Gillespie? The Jazz moods of Sting, Tom Waits, David Bowie, Vinicio Capossela, Lyle Lovett, Paolo Conte. We'll look into this and more... Detailed playlist available at https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&playlist=7890#her Listen →

This week we feature an exclusive interview with, and two hours of music by the bay area saxophonist Idris Ackamoor. An iconoclast like Thelonious Monk once famously said "You play what you want and let the public pick up on what you're doing. Even if it does take them 15 or 20 years". In the case of Idris Ackamoor, that took more like 35 years. But the amount of attention that his music has garnered in the past decade is a well deserved pay-back to a musician that has cultivated his own vision pursuing -- for five decades -- a personal path, fueled by a fascination for his African roots, a profound respect for Duke Ellington, Cecil Taylor and Sun Ra, as well as an admiration for the capacity of musicians like Fela Kuti and Bob Marley to balance the spiritual and the artistic with the social and political dimensions of music. All of that infused with a contagious theatrical ability that makes his performances memorable. Detailed playlist available at Listen →

The bonanza of new releases goes on. So let's dive right in and find out more about the much-awaited return of Kip Hanrahan; music inspired by whales, fictional or real (courtesy of David Crowell & Simon Jermyn and Garth Stevenson); a Kenny Wheeler Tribute by Ingrid Jensen and Steve Steve Treseler, the second installment of Nicole Johänntgen's New Orleans travelogue, a new trio by Wayne Horvitz and the intriguing blend of piano and Maori traditional instruments by Tania Giannouli and Rob Thorne. And, of course, much more! The playlist includes also music by Ben Sluijs, Pierre Bertrand, Stu Minderman, Myra Melford, Chris Lightcap, Fred Frith, Trygve Seim. Detailed playlist available at https://spinitron.com/radio/index.php?station=rfb&playlist=7802#here Photo: Richard Cond Listen →

The summer is winding down and the pace at which new albums are being released is picking up. Given the quality of what is coming our way, we duly oblige. Enjoy two hours of gorgeous new music, including some unexpected gems from the European jazz like the Austrian ensemble Little Rosie's Kindgergarten and the Italian supergroup Peace Pice (featuring Hank Roberts), and more great projects featuring Bill Frisell (with Cuong Vu) or inspired by his artistry, and Frisell's cohort Hank Roberts (with Pipe Dream and Sean Moran, as well Nels Cline (with Chris Lightcap) and a dinasty of Israeli guitarists (Dida Pelled, Gilad Hekselman and Rotem Sivan). The playlist also includes music by Mikkel Ploug, Ethan Iverson, Erik Friedlander, Günter Baby Sommer & Till Brönner, Makaya McCraven & Pericopes+1 Detailed playlist available at https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&playlist=7713#her Listen →

Another master has left us. Randy Weston passed away on Sept. 1st at the venerable age of 92. This week we celebrate the music of an artist that consciously built a bridge between jazz and African musical traditions and, in doing so, strongly contributed to the awareness of the African roots of jazz music. The playlist will include music by Randy Weston and by musicians he inspired like Al Grey, Rodney Kendrick, Heiner Franz and Freddie Hubbard as well as new releases and re-releases by Fred Hersch, Dinosaur, Phronesis, Esbjorn Svensson Trio, Stefon Harris and Stephane Spira. The detailed playlist is available at https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&playlist=7670#her Listen →

The summer is almost over and the pace at which new albums are being released is picking up... This week we focus on a few new gems, including two remarkable tributes to Thelonious Monk, the mighty "Work: The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Monk" (in six volumes!) by Miles Okazaki and the idiosyncratic "The MONK: Live at Bimhuis" by Miho Hazama with the Metropole Orkest Big Band. Ah... and new works featuring John Scofield, Bill Frisell, Steve Cardenas, Manu Codja and Charlie Hunter (and of course Miles Okazaki) for all the guitar hero worshippers out there! The playlist includes also: Emile Parisien, Steve Coleman, Mopo, Walking Distance feat. Jason Moran, Judy Niemack, Skúli Sverrisson, Don Cherry, Rob Dixon, Lucas Pino and Marcin Wasilewski. Detailed playlist available at: https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&playlist=7480#her Listen →

This week we pay homage to the Queen of Soul, {{Aretha Franklin}}, looking into her early jazz forays and her influence on many jazz musicians. We'll then dive into a bin full of extraordinary new albums. The playlist includes: Aretha Franklin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bill Frisell, Phil Haynes & Free Country, Grover Washington Jr., Stanley Turrentine, Lonnie Smith, Rob Dixon, Medeski Martin & Wood with Alarm Will Sound, Friends of Scotty Hard, Don Cherry, Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids, Nicole Mitchell, Andy Milne & Dapp Theory, Allison Miller, Carmen Staaf, Shai Maestro, Wolfgang Muthspiel, JD Allen, Norvald Dahl. Detailed playlist available at: https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&playlist=7540#her Listen →

Whatever material she touches -- be it a Horace Silver standard, a Wes Montgomery blues, a Johnny Cash country tune, a Randy Newman heartbreak song, or one of her disarming originals -- New York-based Israeli guitarist and vocalist Dida Pelled leaves her indelible mark on it. Her signature style is a mix of playful warmth and remarkable guitar chops approached with the soul of a natural born storyteller that knows how to make the listener... listen to her! This mixtape offers an overview of her recording career, in advance of the third Rizzoli Music Aperitivo curated by Mondo Jazz [Friday 14 Sept. 2018 – 7pm - 1133 Broadway btw 25th-26th St. NYC], for which Dida Pelled will present her latest project, "The Lost Women of Song", an intimate evening of remarkable songs by -- and mysterious stories about -- hardly known or under-recognized female artists who were well ahead of their time, from Connie Converse to Elizabeth Cotten to Molly Drake, Vashti Bunyan, Tia Blake and Norma Listen →

Spoken word is performance art that goes hand in hand with jazz because words often sound great and notes can speak loud and clear. In this episode we will explore the best of it, together with outstanding new releases that are making our summer even hotter than it already is! The playlist will include music and words by Gil Scott-Heron, Terry Callier, Elio Villafranca, Don Byron, Emile Parisien & Wynton Marsalis, William Tatge, Steve Coleman & Five Elements, Maria Grand, Branford Marsalis, Jason Moran, Matt Wilson, Hermeto Pascoal, Brad Mehldau, Jason Lindner, Ursula Rucker, Gerald Clayton feat. Aja Monet & Carl Hancock Rux, David Murray & Saul Williams, Ginger Baker, Michael Lowenstern, Caroline Davis. Detailed playlist available at https://spinitron.com/radio/index.php?station=rfb&month=Aug&year=2018&playlist=7408#her Listen →

The best of jazz is aural poetry. The best of poetry swings and grooves. So it's not surprising that jazz and poetry have had a long and fruitful synergy. We decided to explore intriguing collaborations between jazz musicians and poets, from the icons of the Beat Generation to Amiri Baraka, from Federico Garcia Lorca to Emily Dickinson. And we'll celebrate a poet of the jazz trumpet, Tomasz Stanko, which has left us too soon. The playlist includes music and verses by Tomasz Stanko, Matt Wilson, Roy Nathanson, Andrew Cyrille, Allen Ginsberg, Bill Frisell, Lenny Pickett, William Burroughs, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Hal Willner, Jack Kerouac, Mark Murphy, Kip Hanrahan, Ishmael Reed, Ralph Alessi, Piri Thomas, William Parker, Amiri Baraka, Alexis Cuadrado, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Steve Lacy, Frank Carlberg, Jane Ira Bloom, Emily Dickinson, Susanne Abbuehl Detailed playlist available at Listen →

Today we go back to 1981, when "Amarcord Nino Rota" by producer Hal Willner was released. 37 years later it remains a reference record and one of the greatest tribute albums ever produced. We take a look back at the making of this great album, which has just been re-released by Corbett vs. Dempsey, with an interview with Hal Willner, and we play music from some of his other tribute projects (to Monk, Mingus, Ginsberg and vintage Disney movies). Two hours of aural fantasy. The playlist includes music by Nino Rota, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Kurt Weill performed by Jacki Byard, George Adams, Wynton & Branford Marsalis, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Dave Samuels, Carla Bley, Bill Frisell, Steve Lacy, Allen Ginsberg, Was (Not Was), Sun Ra, Greg Cohen, Vernon Reid, Geri Allen, Don Byron, Art Baron, Chuck D, Henry Rollins, Charlie Watts, The Uptown Horns. The detailed playlist is available at Listen →

Inspired by "Head Full of Hair, Heart of Full of Song", Pyeng Threadgill's investigation in music about the role of hair in her life, family, community and throughout the African diaspora, this episode of Mondo Jazz builds a narrative about hair, because -- whether it’s a braided bun or flowing tendrils -- hair has always mirrored the cultural (and musical) zeitgeist. An interview with Pyeng Threadgill and a preview of her recent album together with music ranging from the Lounge Lizards to Laurindo Almeida. The playlist includes The Lounge Lizards, Slow Poke, Garage a Trois, Chico Hamilton, Nels Cline, Bobby Previte, Pyeng Threadgill, Nina Simone, Riccardo Tesi & Banditaliana, Laurindo Almeida & Bud Shank, Gil Evans & Laurent Cugny, Alain Goraguer, Carlo Nardozza, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Either/Orchestra, Eric Dolphy. The detailed playlist is available at https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&month=Jul&year=2018&playlist=7218#her Listen →

This episode features new releases and fresh sounds, from postmodern big bands to protest songs to lyrical meditations that will melt your heart. The playlist includes music by Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog, Pyeng Threadgill, Michael Leonhart Orchestra, Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas' Sound prints, Snarky Puppy, Robert Glasper, Dos Santos, Peter Madsen's Seven Sins Orchestra, Rob Schwimmer, Marike Van Dijk, Mathias Eick and John Christensen. The detailed playlist is available at https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&month=Jul&year=2018&playlist=7201#here Cover photo: Barbara Rigon Listen →

Gorgeous music never stops. Case in point: the spectacularly beautiful new album by the Michael Leonhart, “The Painted Lady Suite”, destined to become a reference record for large ensembles, and the latest release by Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, “Vanished Gardens”. This episode of Mondo Jazz spotlights those albums and other intriguing new (and not so new) releases, and features an exclusive interview with Michael Leonhart on the making of “The Painted Lady Suite”. The playlist also includes music by Dave Holland – Evan Parker – Craig Taborn – Ches Smith, Makaya McCraven, Nels Cline, Thomas Strønen & Time Is A Blind Guide, Wanja Slavin, 3TM, Cortex, Humcrush, Henry Mancini, A detailed playlist is available at: https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&playlist=7088#her Listen →

Already soccered-out? Then dive in the world of Jazz Relay: the exciting sport in which one jazz player passes the baton to the next one and at the end all listeners are exhilarated by the mind-boggling diversity of music that comes out of different bands even when they have many musicians in common. The playlist will include (mostly) new releases by artists who (mostly) are, or about to be, in NY or touring North America: Lucia Cadotsch (interview), Django Bates, Peter Bruun, Petter Eldh, Enemy, Otis Sandsjö, Marius Neset, Amok Amor, Samuel Blaser, Marc Ducret, Tim Berne, Thumbscrew (Michael Formanek, Tomas Fujiwara, Mary Halvorson), Ted Nash, Julian Arguelles, Jim Black, Elias Stemeseder, Mopo. Detailed playlist available at https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&month=Jun&year=2018&playlist=7052#her Listen →

If you are intrigued by jazz because of its capacity to surprise, amaze, astound, even flabbergast and leave you without words… British pianist Django Bates is the musician for you! This week Mondo Jazz has reached out to Django Bates for an interview, in advance of his North American tour. The episode also previews the upcoming concert by Camille Bertault and Chico Pinheiro, which will launch the Rizzoli Music Aperitivo (https://www.rizzolibookstore.com/news/rizzoli-music-aperitivo), a music series curated by Mondo Jazz at the historic Rizzoli Bookstore in New York, which will try to spotlight, and possibly spark, cross-pollination between music and literature or poetry. The playlist will include music by Django Bates' various projects over the years, as well as by Camille Bertault and Marius Neset. Detailed playlists at https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=rfb&month=Jun&year=2018&playlist=6967#her Listen →