The return of Don Was [pictured], tributes to Tony Williams and Leonard Bernstein and much more in another energizing edition of Mondo Jazz. The playlist also features The Jazz Defenders; Lucy Woodward; The Pan-Detroit Ensemble; Roberto Gatto; divr; Peter Erskine & JAM Music Lab All-Stars. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18809727/Mondo-Jazz [up to "Cool"]. Happy listening! Photo credit: Miryam Ramos

This time we are focusing on jazz-infused soundtracks that received nominations for Best Original Score in a Feature Film at the latest Academy Awards... because jazz does a great job a propelling a movie story forward. Kudos to Laura Karpman, the composer of the soundtrack for "American Fiction" and Branford Marsalis for the soundtrack of "Rustin", two scores that have a life of their own even without the images they were was meant to accompany. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18746259/Mondo-Jazz [from "Bookstore" onwards]. Happy listening! Photo credit: Eric Ryan Anderson

Julian Lage's latest album--possibly his best to date--opens a playlist of recent releases spanning many styles and cultural influences. The playlist also features Adam Levy, Larry Grenadier, Joey Baron; Julieta Eugenio; Hugues Mayot; Amirtha Kidambi; Daniel Herskedal; Matthew Sheens Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18746259/Mondo-Jazz [from "76" to "Written in the Dark: Part I, II, III"]. Happy listening! Photo credit: Alexx Duvall

A playlist showcasing the interesting new releases by Christopher Hoffman [pictured], the Liv Andrea Hauge Trio, Travis Reuter, Geoffrey Dean plus a number of recent albums we already featured in the past, but were too good not to get back to one more time. The playlist also features Hiromi; Timo Lassy, Juka Eskola; Riley Mulherkar; and Nitai Hershkovits. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18746259/Mondo-Jazz [up to "Nardis"]. Happy listening! Photo credit: Stephanie McNiel

A soulful rendition of Curtis Fuller's "Mini Mama", and two recent albums featuring Vinnie Sperrazza open an edition of Mondo Jazz which then features three projects at the intersection of jazz and classical music. The playlist features Luke Carlos O'Reilly [pictured]; Vinnie Sperrazza; The Choir Invisible; Brad Mehldau; Franck Tortiller, Debussy String Quartet; Jean-Christophe Cholet, Matthieu Michel, Diagonal. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18712354/Mondo-Jazz (from "Mini Mama" onwards). Photo credit: Ernest Stuart.

The New York residency of Graham Haynes at FourOneOne offers an opportunity to look back at his seminal album "The Griot's Footsteps" and at his recent collaboration with Brandon Ross. Before that, a playlist rich in remarkable new releases! The playlist features Chief Keegan; Triad; Raffi Garabedian; Rodrigo Recabarren, Pablo Menares, Yago Vazquez; Brandon Ross Phantom Station; and Graham Haynes [pictured]. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18712354/Mondo-Jazz [from "Shallow Gander" to "Enlightenment"].

The mighty organ trio of Sam Fribush opens a set mostly devoted to post-bossa nova Brazilian projects. The playlist features Sam Fribush Organ Trio; Ricardo Dias Gomes; Haroldo Bontempo; Amaro Freitas, Jeff Parker; Vinícius Cantuária [pictured]; Natalie Cressman, Ian Faquini, Guinga; Hermon Mehari; and Anna Gréta. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18712354/Mondo-Jazz [up to "Imaginary Unit"].

Here's the long and short of it: Bill Frisell goes orchestral, Emile Parisien is cookin', Nout goes live, Kamasi Washington is back with a prologue to his new album, producer Church Chords channels his inner Hal Willer, and Toine Thys's Orlando sounds better then ever.  Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18680724/Mondo-Jazz (from "Quartography" onwards). Happy listening! Photo credit: Sylvain Gripoix

Three new releases by John Lurie, Benjamin Herman and Fergus Quill give us the opportunity to pay tribute to three musicians whose no-holds-barred attitude significantly marked the scenes in New York and the UK in the 1980s... and now: Xero Slingsby, James Chance and Lurie. The playlist also features: The Works, The Contortions, The Lounge Lizards, Michael Blake, Marc Ribot, Stefan Pasborg Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18680724/Mondo-Jazz (up to "Melt Yourself Down"). Happy listening!

Chamber jazz, field recordings, and deep deep deep interplay are at the heart of this exciting playlist. The playlist features Ethan Iverson; Bex Burch; Sanne Rambags [pictured], Vincent Courtois, Julian Sartorius; Trish Clowes, Ross Stanley; Kenneth Jimenez; Sharel Cassity, Colleen Clark - Alliance. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18648961/Mondo-Jazz (from "Victory Is Assured (Alla Breve)"). Happy listening!

The remarkable debut album by Amy Aileen Wood [pictured] and other genre-defying gems by Alexander Claffy and Yilian Cañizares, three albums featuring Rob Luft and more "Monk by Carlberg" should give you plenty to enjoy in this playlist! The playlist also features John Surman, Elina Duni and Frank Carlberg. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18648961/Mondo-Jazz (from "Strut Like Jagger" to "Elegy for Thelonious"). Happy listening!

Billy Valentine's new single, three albums that will end up on our best of the year list, and more, make it for a thoroughly enjoyable ride! The playlist features Laurent de Wilde; Billy Valentine; Larry Goldings, John Sneider; Simona Severini, Daniele Richiedei, Giulio Corini, Peo Alfonsi, Fulvio Sigurtà; Joel Ross [pictured]; and Lorenzo Di Maio. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18648961/Mondo-Jazz (up to "Buenos Aires"). Happy listening!

There has always been plenty of interplay between jazz and movies: jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway or Harry Connick Jr. turned actors; or actors like Jeff Goldblum or Cybill Shepherd turned jazz musicians; jazz soundtracks for movie; or movies about jazz musicians… However, in anticipation of Oscars Night, here we are focusing on songs inspired by or dedicated to movie stars. The playlist features Vienna Art Orchestra; Supergenerous; Black Art Jazz Collective; Herb Geller, Brian Kellock; Leith Stevens, Chet Baker; Salvatore Bonafede; Enrico Pieranunzi; Henri Texier; and Till Brönner. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18614498/Mondo-Jazz (from “Jayne Mansfield: Rises and Falls” onward). Happy listening!

In a few days the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood will host the Academy Awards, and so we thought that it would be a lot of fun to come up with an episode of Mondo Jazz featuring exclusively tunes inspired by, dedicated to, or titled after movie stars (regardless of whether or not they have won any Oscar awards). The playlist features The Stance Brothers; Vienna Art Orchestra; Exploding Pig; Adam O'Farrill; Steinar Raknes; Pete Rugolo; Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond; Shorty Rogers; Wergeld; Miles Davis; and Rachelle Garniez. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18614498/Mondo-Jazz (up to “Jean Claude Van Damme”). Happy listening!

Cassie Kinoshi's stunning new album, "Gratitude", new releases featuring Dave Douglas, Dave Guy, James Brandon Lewis, Alon Farber and Fredrik Nordström will bring you a high-density set of rewarding new music. The playlist features Dave Guy; Cassie Kinoshi; Alon Farber Hagiga; Dave Douglas, James Brandon Lewis, Ian Chang, Rafiq Bhatia; and Fredrik Nordström. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18582410/Mondo-Jazz (from "Footwork" onward). Happy listening!

The gorgeous new album by Sean Ono Lennon, "Asterisms" (Tzadik), opens a set of electro-acousti otherworldly beauty. The playlist features Sean Ono Lennon; Simon Spiess; Ben Lumsdaine; Debby Wang; YES! Trio, Ali Jackson, Aaron Goldberg, Omer Avital; Paul Dunmall, Ed Puddick and The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Big Band. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18582410/Mondo-Jazz (from "Acisalia" to "Sacred Hymn"). Happy listening!

Welcome to your weekly fix of recent and upcoming releases, from the seismic brasshouse of Too Many Zooz, to the re-imagining of Sun Ra's "The Magic City" by Meshell Ndegeocello, and a whole lot in between. The playlist features Too Many Zooz; Jonathan Suazo; Meshell Ndegeocello; Antti Lötjönen; Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey; Gordon Grdina, Christian Lillinger; Annie Chen; Jacky Terrasson and Camille Bertault. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18582410/Mondo-Jazz (up to "Est-ce que tu me suis ?"). Happy listening!

The restless spirit of Moppa Elliott kicks off a set that illustrates the breadth and depth of today's scene. The playlist features Moppa Elliott; Adam Baldych, Leszek Możdżer; Zach Brock, Bob Lanzetti, Keita Ogawa; Joe Webb [pictured]; Reinier Baas; Félix Zurstrassen Nova; and Olivia Pérez-Collellmir. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18554293/Mondo-Jazz (from "Delaware Water Gap" onward). Happy listening!

This time we focus on a number of emerging artists and their search for a personal synthesis of the many influences that have shaped them for a set bookended by deep grooves and avant-funk. The playlist features Ari Joshua, John Medeski, Billy Martin; The Sextones; Otis Sandsjö; Michele Bonifati Emong; Evita Polidoro; Ciara Moser [pictured]; Roni Kaspi; Bernie Worrell, Cindy Blackman Santana and John King. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18554293/Mondo-Jazz (from "Elephant Walk" to "Auguries). Happy listening!

A set with countless flavors and colors from all around the world featuring songs about travelling to the Moon, or traveling sustainably; Afrobeat songs; songs of low simmering groove; songs by cellists; and more. The playlist features Ghost Funk Orchestra; Rosa Brunello; Louis Matute; Jahari Massamba Unit; Newen Afrobeat; Ana Carla Maza [pictured]; and Leyla McCalla. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18554293/Mondo-Jazz (up to "Tree"). Happy listening!