As we continue our journey in today's French jazz scene we look at how it has been influenced by the many musical traditions that enrich the French society, in particular those from North Africa and the Middle-East

Here's more jazz from the scene by the Seine

Historically, the French scene has played a vital role in the world of jazz, so let's celebrate Bastille day and pay tribute to the French way of Jazz

This week we have a wide-ranging palette, as well go from the maelstroms of Andrew D'Angelo's DNA Orchestra and Raoul Björkenheim's Interstellar Coltrane, to the subtleties of Mara Rosenbloom, Nathalie Darche and João Lencastre's Communion 3

This week we pay tribute to the late Ennio Morricone and then check out some great new releases that cross borders, stylistic definitions and generations.

The fusion of different musical cultures and genres is at the heart of this edition of Mondo Jazz

Spectacular debut releases, international and inter-generational collaborations, bands revolving around the thick and catchy pulse of Ben Allison's bass and more

The second part of this week's new and upcoming release special brings new gems by Angel Bat Dawid, Caleb Dolister, old gems in new bottles courtesy of Gary Bartz & Maisha and of Jorja Smith and more

It has been more or less a month since our last episode devoted to new and upcoming releases, so it's time to catch up as so much great music has been coming out, some of it to raise funds for worthy causes.

As our series dedicated to the amazing music that has come out of the struggle for the advancement of African-Americans come to an end, we focus on tunes inspired by the march on Selma, or dedicated to the many victims of racially motivated brutality.

As Martin Luther King put it in the opening address to the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival, "When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument."

In the second part of this special dedicated to jazz and civil rights we look into music inspired by the bloody events that marked the advancement of the civil rights movement and by the victims of ongoing brutality

Music often distills the truth in ways that make it hard to ignore. The history of jazz is intertwined with the struggle for the advancement of the African-American society that birthed it.

After a first part dedicated jazz inspired by 007 flicks, here we switch our attention to other great soundtrack composers like Lalo Schifrin or Quincy Jones, and other movie characters like Sherlock Holmes, Ms. Marple, Nero Wolfe or Dirty Harry.

For a reason or another, movies about detectives, secret agents or spies have gone mano a mano with jazz, and so this week we'll feature jazz inspired by adventurous characters. In this first segment, the focus is on James Bond

All good things come to an end, so here we are with the last part of our celebration of Stevie Wonder's 70th birthday in the key of jazz.

After a dive in renditions from the '70s during parts 1 & 2 , here we mix things up with a combination of contemporary stunners,

Stevie Wonder has often infused his performances with compelling renditions of jazz standards like Miles' "All Blues" or Coltrane's "Giant Steps". In return, countless jazz musicians have looked at his Songbook and found in his compositions fertile grounds for their own explorations.

Stevie Wonder has more entries in the "Real Book" than any other pop musician, The Beatles included. It is not surprising therefore that his Songbook has been mined by hundreds of jazz musicians, including Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Dexter Gordon and Herbie Hancock.

The great return of master arranger Pablo Ablanedo, the new single by Swedish saxophonist and flutist Otis Sandsjö, two new projects by the prolific oud and guitar player Gordon Grdina, and saxophones in solo, duo, trio and quartet settings.

This week we go through another delicious stash of new and upcoming releases

The new works of drummers Chad Taylor and Matt Wilson, the global jazz of the cult band Aka Moon and South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini and more

Plenty of European jazz on this week's show, with a special focus on the French scene and the mighty Convervatorium von Amsterdam Concert Big Band's new album.

Second part of our weekly exploration of brand new releases, with a special focus on guitar-centric albums

We may be in lock-down but outstanding jazz releases keep coming out as if nothing were of the COVID19 and the social distancing, bringing us much needed relief.