The Spy Can’t Hide

The first portion of the proGram was trying to be unseen,but we saw:

Surely They Know- Infinity Forms of Yellow Remember
Guards In The Garden- Venus Furs
The Price You Pay- The Moon City Masters

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We Got A Thing Going On- Tennessee Redemption
Trying To Make A Living- Bobby Saxton
Dynamite- Earl Hooker
Don’t Come Back- Little Mac

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Exit Zero- Professor Louis & the Crowmatix
Wanna Be Right- Jimmy Carpenter
Damn Fool Way- Giles Robson
Boogaloo- Arsen Shomakhov

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Wake Me- Vaneese Thomas
The Loneliest I’ve Ever Been- Josh Hoyer & The Macy Sounds Ft. Eddie Roberts/Pete Shand/Joe Tatton/Jeff Franca & John Macy
Spice- Magic City Hippies
Indiana- Magic City Hippies

The Budos Band Giving It To Madison

With over two decades of playing together since their early days in Staten Island, The Budos Band have have left their signature on five studio albums, a raucous live show that feels like the best party in town. The music has taken them across four continents and an unbreakable musical kinship among its nine members, that easily spreads & shares a fun family feeling like a smile eases onto a happily surprised face. Their sound has evolved since their Afro-soul beginnings, but no matter how many new influences get mixed in and layered on over the years, they remain deeply in sync, the hosts of the block party and a cornerstone in what’s good art that’s brand new.

I had the chance to catch up with friend of the proGram, Mr. Jared Tankel ahead of The Budos Band‘s show on September 20th at the Majestic Theatre here in Madison.. Jared and I get into the deliverable goods to be expected at their upcoming show (for those who are newcomers to their scene). We deep dive into the the groups brand new release, “V”, and how it was a very different road to recording from the years earlier. Jared will be/is on baritone sax, so we talk about the road to being “Bari” cool for him, and how the vice of this instrument speaks to the two of us. So….what would Jared choose to air if building a set for greenarrowradio? Which song off the new album would he start with? These questions are answered in our conversation.

Photo by: Leslie Kalohi

Looking At Us

The final portion of the proGram must have a way to see what we are thinking about doing:

Wareika- Monty Alexander
Bemsha Swing- Monty Alexander
Yo No Sé- Alex Cuba
Y Si Mañana- Alex Cuba Ft. Omara Portuondo

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Alchemy- Bryony Jarman-Pinto
Saffron Yellow- Bryony Jarman-Pinto

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Friends- Big Gigantic Ft. Ashe
Harsh Language- Infinity Shred
Cranemaker- Infinity Shred
Hope- Azam Ali (live Paste Studio)
Shallow Then Halo- Azam Ali (live Paste Studio)

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The Battle- G&D
Smile- G&D Ft. Latoiya Williams, Aloe Blacc, & Ms. Dezy
No Giving Up- sir Was

Prefer To Stand

The middle portion of the proGram offered up a seat, but the body had to keep on movin’:

Tell Me A Story- The Charlie Wooton Project
Fulton Alley- The Charlie Wooton Project
Traveler- Lucky Chops (live in Paste Studios)

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Ghost Talk- The Budos Band
**pre-recorded conversation with Jared Tankel of The Budos Band**
Spider Web Pt. 1- The Budos Band
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Y Todavia La Quiero- Brooklyn Funk Essentials
Out Of Sync- Resolution 88

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Forces- Jared Sims
Faction- Olli Hirvonen
Outta My Head- YNZ
Vicky- YNZ

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Un Attimo- Bright Dog Red
Island Of Thought- Bright Dog Red
Sea Horse Jockey- Bright Dog Red

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Juicy Fruit- Karate Boogaloo

Behind The Hinges

The first portion of the reGularly scheduled program had to have something to share behind there:

Sunday Morning- Ben Davis Jr.
Thank You Baby- Eddie Boyd
Nit Wit- L.C. McKinley
Mad House Jump- The Daylighters

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Mischief Man- Altered Five Blues Band
Coming In Hot- Coco Montoya

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Bull Frog Blues Jam- Professor Louie & The Crowmatix (live)
Going Place- Bruce Katz

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Ebony Man- Vaneese Thomas
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You Make Me Real- The Doors (live)
Moonlight Drive / Horse Latitudes- The Doors (live)
Ray Ban- London Underground
The Comete- London Underground

Fire- Red Hot Chili Peppers
Catholic School Girls Rule- Red Hot Chili Peppers
Backwoods- Red Hot Chili Peppers

Sounds Inside These Walls

Did a little pre-show G-show and I imaGined what it was sounding like within this space:

Beside The Point- Sirius Quartet
Eleonore Rigby- Sirius Quartet

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Blues and the Alternative Fact- Ezra Weiss Big Band
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Blue World- John Coltrane
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Easy Rider- Kathleen Hollingsworth Mad Love
Colobó- Miguel Zenón
Don’t Cross the Coss- Roxy Coss Ft. Alex Wintz/Miki Yamanaka/Rick Rosato/Jimmy Macbride
Females Are Strong As Hell- Roxy Coss Ft. Alex Wintz/Miki Yamanaka/Rick Rosato/Jimmy Macbride

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Brilliant Corners- Mwenso & the Shakes
Much Love To Give- Abro Ft. Sefi Zisling
Symmetricity In Linear Evolution- Shawn Purcell
‘trane-ing Wheels- Shawn Purcell

Yard Trippin’

The final set of this week’s proGram went looking for a way to make the yard change it’s colors:

Watermelon Thump- Bruce Katz
Dusk Train to Doha- Jon Batiste (live at Village Vanguard)
Echoes of Spring- Mwenso & the Shakes

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Bernie’s Tune- Matthew Whitaker
Freedom Jazz Dance- Matthew Whitaker
Tactile- Olli Hirvonen
False Pageantry- The Adam Larson Band

Stairway to the Stars- Philip Bailey Ft. Christian Scott & Christian McBride
Long as You’re Living- Philip Bailey Ft.Christian McBride

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One Track Maniac-Zhou Kroix Ft. Mackenzie Shivers
Why Not Save a Life- Zhou Kroix Ft. Adam Ahuja
Oh Yes- The Expert
The Revolution- Ross From Friends

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The Mist- Mames Babegenush
Podolian Prom- Mames Babegenush

Find Your Spot To Just Float

The middle portion of the proGram found a spot to just let it all go on and float within it:

Let It Slide- Marco Benevento
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Last Kiss- Vaneese Thomas
The Truth (Strings Version)- The Bamboos
Running Away- The Pendletons

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Jaceaux- The Charlie Wooton Project Ft. Doug Wimbish
***pre-recorded conversation with Charlie Wooton***
Come On Come Over- The Charlie Wooton Project
Dime Note- The Charlie Wooton Project

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These Tears- Lucky Chops (live Paste Studio 7/17/2019)
The Dancing Babies- Lucky Chops (live Paste Studio 7/17/2019)
Full Heart Fancy- Lucky Chops (live Paste Studio 7/17/2019)

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Angel Baby- Las Cafeteras
España Cañí- Mariachi Los Camperos

Turn Around Art

The first portion of the proGram knows it is art anyway you look at it:

Don’t Meddle In My Mood- Terri Hendrix
Dogging Me- Terri Hendrix

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Lineboat Blues- Ben Davis Jr Ft. David Childers
In Your Way- Dudley Taft
greenarrowradio promo- Jeff Taylor of Altered Five Blues Band
Right On, Right On- Altered Five Blues Band
Funky Steampunk Blues- Professor Louie & The Crowmatix

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Don’t Be A Sucker- Nikki Hill
***pre-recorded conversation with Nikki Hill***
Get Down, Crawl- Nikki Hill
Tell The Next World- Nikki Hill
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Relief- Craig Baumann and the Story
Awhile- Craig Baumann and the Story
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Even Though- Jason McCue
Chariot Choogle- T.Rex

Charlie Wooton Project’s Blue Basso

Charlie Wooton and I go back a ways now. I have covered many of his projects over the years and when you get that kind of longevity, the feeling of pride gets shared when something really truly special happens. With the latest release, “Blue Basso”, I believe that moment is here. When I first met up with Charlie, he was based out of Atlanta and formed the progressive dance band Zydefunk while maintaining his ‘The Charlie Wooton Project’ for his more experimental cross-generic work combining jazz,rock, blues and world music. During this period he played with a diverse group of musicians including Count M’Butu, Oliver Wood, Donny McCormick, Sean Costello, Grant Green Jr., Jeff Sipe, Rev. Jeff Moser and Willie Green. Home called and Charlie headed back to Louisiana where he has become a sought after sideman with some of the best ear-opening talent from the area, including Bonerama, Sonny Landreth, Zigaboo Modeliste, Johnny Vidacovich, Cyril Neville, Chief Monk Boudreaux, New Orleans Suspects, Big Sam’s Funky Nation and so many more. As the bassist for Royal Southern Brotherhood over a four year period Charlie recorded four CDs and wrote several of their tunes. I covered Charlie’s ZabaDuo project with percussionist Rafael Pereira, which explored the world of Brazilian music, and led to the Charlie Wooton Project’s Zabadodat. Around 2015 Charlie joined the New Orleans Suspects, replacing founding member and friend of the proGram, Mr. Reggie Scanlan. All along, Charlie’s desire to honor one of the gods of bass, Mr. Jaco Pastorious. I think with Blue Basso, he has started to stretch his fingers and abilities to write and create into the same language that Jaco was speaking.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Charlie about the creation of Blue Basso from the ideas to the sound stories I get to share with the listeners. Charlie gives major props to the many people who helped make this vision into a musical reality. From, Doug Wimbish to Eric McFadden….Arsene DeLay to Daniel Groover, the list of contributors is as relevant as the music. It’s my belief that these songs could not have been made so brilliantly without the right pieces. Charlie and I discuss what role friend of the proGram, Samantha Fish had in the process as this new release is put out on her Wild Heart Records label.

Rockin’ Forward with Nikki Hill

Independence has always come easy for vocalist/lyricist/bandleader Nikki Hill, raised by a single mother and two older sisters throughout Durham, North Carolina. This inspired not only her confidence at a young age, but a self-reliance and strong curiosity, which informed her interest in art, reading and writing. Raised in the church and choir as a child, that curiosity led Nikki to trade the pews for barstools, sneaking into venues when necessary, and was soon immersed in North Carolina’s roots scene as a young teen. She felt oddly comfortable, finding a direct connection between the energy she saw at local shows, and the intense praise dancing, gospel shouting church services she was raised in. Seeing everything from Dexter Romweber to Carolina Chocolate Drops, friend of this proGram, Mr. Bo Diddley to Motorhead, her new sermons came from rockers and bartenders, cowpunks and starving artists. Everyone had a story, and very soon, Nikki was in the mix herself, and making stories of her own. By the time she released “Here’s Nikki Hill” in 2013, word had spread, for better or worse. The reputation of the live show preceded itself, and heavily. Still, all of this did not translate immediately. With the rarity of Black rock ‘n roll singers/entertainers in the modern circuit and the large lack of knowledge of the impact of Black musicians on American roots music, Nikki found herself in an odd spot. She became known just as much for confusing local audiences who had come to see the woman in the poster, assuming her an act of a relaxed vibe, as she did for leading an unbridled, soulful, electric guitar driven performance. Instead of drawing back and satisfying the assumptions people made, Nikki pushed back, showing people that rock n’ roll didn’t have one look or sound. The strong public curiosity allowed Hill the chance to open for a range of artists like Dr. John, Billy Boy Arnold, to Eileen Jewel and Nelly, before she even had music released. Labels came calling, but were looking for stylings of the more well-known Hill, or of a more boxed-in retro feel that could be fully embraced by the purists Nikki had come to abhor from her former years of teen rebellion. She continued to develop her sound despite not knowing what to call it, remaining inspired by the fire of roots pioneers before her that she studied in the record stores and book shops.

That bring us to now, where Nikki has another great album of songs to share with the world, “Feline Roots” is bending the ears and minds of those who look beyond a poster, or an image and want to rock in any way possible. Nikki will be bringing the band to Madison on August 23rd at the Knuckledown Saloon to do just that. I had the chance to catch up with her to talk about that show, the latest release and the path taken from little Nikki to the Feline Roots Nikki. If you like to rock and roll, checkout Nikki live and share in her stories and make new ones with her.

Photo by: Roland Kämpfer

Floating Like A

The final set of this week’s proGram visited with a smooth sail:

Grits- Pieces Of A Man
Pass it On- Omar Ft. Terri Walker
Be Thankful- Omar Ft. Erykah Badu

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Sweet Time (Yuksek Dub Remix)- Kraak & Smaak Ft. Izo FitzRoy
Misophonia- Thomas Blondet & Steven Rubin
Sun Is Shining (over you)- Lee “Scratch” Perry

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La clé- Dobet Gnahoré
**pre-recorded conversation with the sensational Dobet Gnahoré**
Youkouli- Dobet Gnahoré
Miziki- Dobet Gnahoré
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Beauty Is- Ben Seawell Ft. Falu Shah
Call That Love- Ben Seawell

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Round Midnight- Jon Batiste (live at the Village Vanguard)
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Yardbird Suite- Matthew Whitaker
Street Of Dreams- Ben Flocks
Duende- Ben Flocks

The Bud Above

The middle portion of the proGram does not mind the color or type of hair on top of anything:

Miss You- The Charlie Wooton Project Ft. Eric McFadden & Arsene’ DeLay
Double Negative- YNZ
Jokowi- YNZ

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You’re Everything- Philip Bailey Ft. Chick Corea
Side Trip To Jupiter- Angelo Moore & the Brand New Step

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In Many Cases- Momo Said
Don’t Believe You Like That- Emilia Sisco Ft. Cold Diamond & Mink
Tell Me That You Love Me- Jonny Benavidez Ft. Cold Diamond & Mink
Over My Head- Ikebe Shakedown
Flute A Loo- Nathan Paul & The Admirables

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greenarrowradio promo- Moonshine Society
Sweet Time (Yuksek Remix)- Kraak & Smaak Ft. Izo FitzRoy
Mind Your Own Business- Automatic
Titanium 2 Step- Battles Ft. Sal Principato
Color/Sweat- Calliope Musicals

Top Of The Bottle To You

The first portion of the proGram had a strange eyed view of something usually seen from a different way.

Can’t Get Enough- Ben Davis Jr.
Best Kind Of Trouble- Jeff Dale & The South Woodlawners
Tush- Alex Lopez

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greenarrowradio promo- Delbert McClinton
No Chicken On The Bone- Delbert McClinton the Self-Made Men + Dana
Let’s Get Down Like We Used To- Delbert McClinton the Self-Made Men + Dana
Down at the Barrelhouse- Bruce Katz

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Wonky- Reverend Horton Heat
**pre-recorded conversation with Jim “Reverend Horton” Heath**
Perfect- Reverend Horton Heat
Got It In My Pocket- Reverend Horton Heat
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Bill’s Mandolin- Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
Hymn For A Droid- Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
3:30 Psychosis- Spike Fuck
Renaissance Man- 26 Reds

Reverend Horton Heat Is the Pulse of Rock-n-Roll

By day, Jim Heath is a mild-mannered musical historian well-versed in the birthing days of rock and roll. But when the sun goes down, he straps on his signature Gretsch 6120, steps up to the mike and is transformed into REVEREND HORTON HEAT, a hellfire-spewing, rock and roll dare-demon. Jim’s tome is iconic: From recording with Lemmy Kilmister, being revered by country music legends like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, touring with Soundgarden, ZZ Top, The Cramps, Social Distortion, White Zombie and the Sex Pistols, to providing touring opps to upstarts Kyuss, Hank III, Marilyn Manson and countless others across decades on the road. “This tour started around 1986,” Heath chuckles dryly. REVEREND HORTON HEAT still performs nearly 200 shows annually, including their trademark Horton’s Hayride Festival in Southern California, which has expanded to an end-of-the-year jamboree under the name Horton’s Holiday Hayride. The band has also wowed sold-out crowds with their multi-city residencies across America, including performances at Coachella, Reading, Austin City Limits, Riot Fest. The Texas troubadours also took a unique approach to the term ‘Special Guests’ on recent tours. Recalling the time the band opened for Jerry Lee Lewis, Heath had a vision, “The idea of playing in Jerry’s backing band would have been pretty neat. So every once in a while we’ll have a load of fun putting that aspect in our live set. In the middle of our set, we’ll have a special guest come on stage for a mini-set where REVEREND HORTON HEAT is the backing band. The first time we did it was with Lemmy Kilmister. We stopped our set midway, the road crew dragged a Marshall amp on stage, wiped the Rickenbacker clean and out came Lem. He was adamant on playing deep cuts, but I fought tooth and nail with him to do ‘Ace Of Spades.’ I told him, ‘Lemmy, we must do this song, we have to give the people want they want.’ He took a drag of his smoke, looked me square in the eye, and said ‘Never give them what they want, give them what they need!’” With over 1 million albums sold and nearly 35 years in the game, Heath and company have been delivering blood-pressure inducing scriptures to millions of fans worldwide. Call it rock and roll, psychobilly or what have you, REVEREND HORTON HEAT is often considered an early architect of the latter genre (at least on this side of the Atlantic) and occupies a peculiar place in American musical terrain.

I had the privilege of talking with Jim ahead of the August 15th show at the High Noon Saloon in Madison. We get into the scene we should be seen at in Madison, the new comers in the band as well as the making of the groups latest record, “Whole New Life”, on Victory Records. It is a thrill to hear Jim talk about how the album got off the ground…..finally and how the making of the music for him never really changes, it’s what he does. Jim speaks on how fear motivates him. It was so cool to hear him talk about the vision for the sound of this release, and how he believes they are working every day and night to keep the rock and roll many of us knew once, moving forward with a strong pulse. I truly feel that the music Jim has made all these years is instrumental in many of the careers of the new kids on the rock and roll block, an they might not even know it yet.

Dobet Gnahoré Unites Open Minds In Madison

Africa has its internationally acclaimed female voices and the voice of Dobet Gnahoré has made its mark there. With her latest release, “MIZIKI”, the voice of the multi-talented Ivorian singer resonates African sounds mixed with samples of electronic music, a subtle blend revealing a musical style which echoes her own character – freedom. The freedom to make a fifth album in which modernity feeds on tradition and heritage. Inspired by her travels all around the world (more than 800 concerts since 2004), Dobet shares a new and hitherto unsuspected side of her personality. It took four years to compose “MIZIKI”, probably her boldest, most personal album and one which pays homage to the two principal causes she supports: a rich, generous and unified Africa and the strength of African women. In her words and on stage, Dobet, the standard-bearer of a new generation of daring and determined Africans, celebrates the valiant and kind woman. Dobet loves the music of Africa (Yemi Alade, Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie) but is equally enthusiastic about Björk or Christine and all the other “Queens”. Faithful to the languages of Africa – Côte d’Ivoire has 72 dialects – for this album – possibly her best yet – she concentrates on Bété, her mother tongue. Dobet has definitely reached a turning point and has left labels behind to express her frankest and most sincere emotion more precisely. “I want to make people dream while remaining a free artist”.

I had the honor of chatting with Dobet ahead of her August 15th concert, “The Dobet Gnahore Select Session” part of The Sessions at McPike Park 2019 and her August 16th event at the North Street Cabaret. Dobet and I get into what her audiences can expect once she and er group hit the stage. We talk about her hope for a strong and powerful African woman and the goal of assisting with uniting Africa as one. She shares with me how her latest album, her baby, “MIZIKI” went from a thought to a movement.

You And Sky

The final portion of the proGram found the beauty in and above all of us:

Ben Seawell Teenage Frolics (Instrumental Mix)- Ben Seawell Ft. Henry Butler & Seamus Blake
You Ain’t Gotta Run From It- Ben Seawell Ft. Leo Nocentelli, Amp Fiddler & Gabriel Gordon
You & Me- Tuxedo
OMW- Tuxedo Ft. Leven Kali & Battlecat

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Jerzy’s Samba- Same Speed Edits
Where I’m From- G&D

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Catch Your Wave- The Elovaters Ft. Organically Good Trio
Enamorado Yo Estoy- Cuñao
Overture- Mwenso & the Shakes
Big Spender- Mwenso & the Shakes

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Run!- Satoko Fujii
Orange Coals- Akiko Hamilton Dechter
Resurrection- SPAGA

Split Nut

The middle portion of the proGram knew what day it was and split the nuts down the middle:

I Don’t Wanna Stop (Strings Version)- The Bamboos
This Love, Part 1- Bobby Oroza Ft. Cold Diamond & Mink
Paint Me in a Corner- Nicole Willis Ft. The Soul Investigators
This is What Love Looks Like!- Carlton Jumel Smith Ft. Cold Diamond & Mink

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Mamacita- Dojo Cuts Ft. Roxie Ray
Life’s Begun- Baby Charles
Mary’s Corner- Ikebe Shakedown
The Witness- Ikebe Shakedown

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Sacred Sounds- Philip Bailey Ft. Kamasi Washington & Robert Glasper
Listen- Pieces Of A Man
Lou’s House- Eric Harland/Josh Giunta/Dan Rovin/Kaleta Leon Ligan-Majek & Timothy Robinson
Party People- The Live Wire

Glass Wings Fly Sharp

The first portion of the regularly scheduled proGram took flight in the mosaic skies:

Trying To Love- We Banjo 3 (live)
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Sinful- Alex Lopez Ft. Ellie Carr
Zakary- Heather Newman Band
His Soul- Heather Newman Band
Shake- Moonshine Society
Use Me on Gilded Splinter- Moonshine Society
Broke Ass Man- Mz Sumac

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Hit And Run Lover- James Newman
Red Tide- Freddie Roulette
Middle Class Moan- Jeff Dale & The South Woodlawners

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greenarrowradio promo- Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers
You Better Run- Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers

Across The Pond- Craig Baumann and the Story
Switchup- Southern Avenue
The Tea I sip- Southern Avenue

Moth In The Past

Did a little pre-show proGram with a focus on where wings can take you day or night.

You Never Can Tell- Lyn Stanley (live)
Proverbs of Ashes- Brad Mehldau

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Always Something There To Remind Me- Charles Owens Trio
Karma Jones- Victor Gould Ft. Godwin Louis/Jeremy Pelt/Dayna Stephens/Rodney Green/Vicente Archer
Tuyo (Narcos Theme)- David Finck
I Hear A Rhapsody- Luke Gillespie

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Past Lives- Mike Clark (live at the Iridium)
Straight No Chaser- Mike Clark (live at the Iridium)
A Major Seventh Stew- Patrick Butler
For the Go Go- Lafayette Gilchrist
Happy Birthday Sucka- Lafayette Gilchrist

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A Baptist Beat- Akiko Hamilton Dechter
Mag’s Groove- Akiko Hamilton Dechter
Hearing Around Corners- Tim Ries
Amor Ate O Fim- Tim Ries