Bobby Hutcherson's "Cirrus"

Album: Cirrus (Blue Note, 1974)

Artist: Bobby Hutcherson (feat. Woody Shaw, Emmanuel Boyd, Harold Land, William Henderson, Ray Drummond, Larry Hencock, & Kenneth Nash)

Vibe: Burning full band jazz, showcasing thrilling vibraphone solos from bandleader Bobby Hutcherson (RIP).

Dawda Jobarteh's "Northern Light Gambian Night"

Album: Northern Light Gambian Night (Stern's Africa, 2011)

Artist: Dawda Jobarteh

Vibe: Very chill mood music from Gambian kora master. Lovely lovely.

Blind Note's "Blind Note"

Album: Blind Note (Muziek Publique, 2011)

Artist: Blind Note

Vibe: An ever-changing array of compelling and calm folk music from a Belgium-based band made up of members from Armenia, Turkey, Mexico, Senegal, and Madagascar. Wonderment!

"Balkan Brass Battle" w/ Boban & Marko Markovic versus Fanfare Ciocarlia

Album: Balkan Brass Battle (Asphalt Tango Records, 2011)

Artists: Boban and Marko Markovic Orchestra & Fanfare Ciocarlia

Vibe: Two brass bands, one from Romania and one from Serbia, battle it out with funk horn jams. Lots of fun.

Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra's "When The World Was One"

Album: When the World Was One (Gondwana Records, 2014)

Artist: Matthew Halsall & the Gondwana Orchestra

Vibe: Groovy spiritual jazz from British trumpeter-led octet.

Deerhoof's "The Magic"

Album: The Magic (Polyvinyl, 2016)

Artist: Deerhoof

Vibe: Jagged psych rock from veteran band with plenty of wonderful ideas. Fun, flowery, Deerhoof!

Song: "Debut"

Daniel Bachman's "River"

Album: River (Three Lobed Recordings, 2016)

Artist: Daniel Bachman

Vibe: American primitive instrumentals from one of the most proficient contemporary guitarists out there. Explorative and warm.