Mop Mop

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This week the spotlight takes us to Cesena, Italy and it shines on Andrea Benini. Benini is a graduate of Discipline dell Arti, della Musica e dell Spettacolo or DAMS, where he studied African-American and Contemporary Music. Before recording music, Benini interviewed artists between 2000 and 2003 for the Italian magazine Percussioni. In 2005, he started the jazz/funk group Mop Mop, Mop Mop has released 11 albums to date, and has had one of their songs, "Three Time Bossa" included in the soundtrack to the Woody Allen film, To Rome With Love.



LINKS:
From To Rome With Love: "Three Times Bossa"
"So High"
"Living Beat"
"Ash"

REFERENCES:
"Biography." Retrieved from: http://www.mopmop.com/biography/

Need a Nu Jazz fix...

Here is my Nu Jazz playlist, many of these artists are featured on my weekly show and have been spotlighted through this blog. If you ever need a nu jazz fix, feel free to crank up this playlist. Enjoy!

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Cassandra Wilson

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This week we're going to Jackson, no not to listen to Johnny and June Carter, but Jackson, Mississippi native Cassandra Wilson. She has been performing since she was a child in the 70s. In the 80s, she would work with legends, Dave Holland and Abbey Lincoln in New York, and sing with Steve Coleman's group the M-Base Collective before pursuing a solo career (allmusic.com).  Her repertoire includes jazz standards, and rootsy, country, blues interpretations of pop and rock classics like: Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time", "The Weight" by The Band and "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young (last.fm). 

Wilson has also experimented with hip-hop and has released an album with many original songs called Another Country (allmusic.com). 

As a fan of Miles Davis, she had the great fortune of opening for Miles in Chicago in 1989, and released a tribute called Travelling Miles in '99 (last.fm).

LINKS: 
Interview with Cassandra Wilson about recording her album Another Country in Italy 

"Harvest Moon"

"Waters of March"

New music! Cassandra Wilson's version of "Strange Fruit"

REFERENCES:

Yanow, Scott. "Cassandra Wilson." 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cassandra-wilson-mn0000197460/biography

"Cassandra Wilson." Retrieved from: http://www.last.fm/music/Cassandra+Wilson?ac=Cassandra

Soulstance

Photo: www.discogs.com

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This week the spotlight shines on two brothers from Milano, Enzo and Gianni Lo Greco ("Soulstance Discography"). If you love the smooth laid back bossa nova style served up with a contemporary groove, then this duo is for you. Enzo plays bass, guitar, flute and keyboards, while Gianni takes care of the drumkit and percussion ("Soulstance").


LINKS:
"The Time" 
"Truth, Simplicity and Love"
"Touchstone"




REFERENCES:
"Soulstance Discography." Retrieved from: http://www.discogs.com/artist/5742-Soulstance
"Soulstance." iTunes. Retrieved from: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/soulstance/id16428622