95bFM: The Swap Meet

The Swap Meet is a market-stall sprawl of finds from across the spectrum of black music, where the logic is curatorial rather than chronological. Pass go at the Chicago soul continuum: Jerry Butler's Gamble & Huff productions sitting near Terry Callier's folk-tinged melancholy and Jill Scott's 21st century soul interpretation - alongside the Philly institution of MFSB's "Love Is the Message," one of those eternal records. Rufus and Chaka comes from their mid-70s peak on ABC, Campbell revisits Jhelisa's "Friendly Pressure" part of the '94 Acid Jazz scene (on Dorado) before switching to Brothers Johnson's jazz-funk alongside Spyro Gyra and The Crusaders. Further afield Gilberto Gil's "Maracatu Atômico" and the Aposento Alto gospel cut sit in the same programme as Tapper Zukie's Kingston pressure, Area Code 615's Nashville session-player funk, and a clutch of contemporary releases demonstrate that the search ain't over; sampling Chuck Bynum, The Mighty Tiny & The Many Few, and Glenn Meinecke. The modern soul pocket is well covered: Odyssey, Two Tons of Fun, Steve Parks, the Dianne Reeves track from her pre-Blue Note years. That's the blurb - now it's time to listen.

Kirk's back for another fix. This week celebrating 50 years since the release of Norman Connors 'You Are My Starship' album, also 40 years since the release of The S.O.S Band's 'Sands Of Time' & Chris Rea's 'On The Beach' albums, plus birthday shout outs to Brenda Russell for the 8th, Jazmine Sullivan & Steve Gadd for the 9th, Louis Johnson & Peabo Bryson for the 13th. All that & loads more.

It's the Tairāwhiti takeover at the Meet today with b-boy Matty B and aural archiologist Cassawarrior joining host Campbell Ngata for essential selects to keep the b airways stocked with all the funky treats you have come to depend on for your Sunday afternoon listening pleasure.

Oogun in the area! This edition of Swap Meet on 95bFM sees Oogun of Drunk Elephant Sound take the controls again. We have to kick off with Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (as he's just announched a show 30 May at the Auckland Town Hall), celebrate 40 years of Anita Baker's Rapture LP. From there the show journeys through Hammond organ jazz courtesy of Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery, the irresistible samba groove of birthday boy Jorge Ben, Zanzibari taarab rhythms from Rashid Makame, and the hypnotic desert blues of DJ Bamanan. Rail Band and Orchestra OK Jazz bring the golden age of Malian and Congolese rumba into the mix, while Ebo Taylor and the Souljazz Orchestra represent the broader Pan-African sweep that runs through the whole set. Oogun also brings original productions - "Version for Version" and "Deep Architecture" teaming with OSC alias sitting alongside dub selections from Mungo's Hifi, Matty G and Jaffa Sound that give the show its NuZillund reggae tip. We spin Gang Starr to salute Preem's birthday, Ethiopian jazz textures arrive via Zena's "Kazanchis" (Brownswood) and AHC's "Push Me Pull You," and the cosmic soul of Nona Hendryx and Azimuth round things out. Press the button.

Sunday the first of March: J & K are back on deck for The Swap Meet. Turns out it was a good day to be born - Oliver Sain, Willie Mitchell, Norman Connors and Harry Belafonte all blew out candles on this date, so naturally we pay our respects. We also took a moment to celebrate some fifty-year anniversaries: Dr Tree's landmark New Zealand fusion record, the Ohio Players' Contradiction, and Kool & The Gang's Love & Understanding all turning half a century old still killing. And we said farewell to Willie Colón, the South Bronx trombone legend who helped build salsa into what it is, gone this week at 75. Fresh music from Mark de Clive-Lowe, Andrea Lombardini, Tommaso Cappelato and Larry June inside the jam too, alongside the usual gear for the weekly rummage. Press the button.