The Case of the New Year's International Jazz

Music lovers, I am wrapping up this year of Encyclopedia Sound broadcasting with a set dedicated to jazz... from Cuba, and from Africa.

The first hour today is a new Latin Jazz set; pretty much all instrumental pieces, perhaps a couple vocal lines here and there. We start with a batch of jazzy descargas, past and present. The second set features fun sounds from the mambo era. The final set of the first hour features funky jazz from Cuba in the 70s, and wraps up with an Afro-Latin piece from Senegal.

Second hour today gives pride of place to the latest jazz album from Tony Allen, the legendary Afrobeat drummer from Fela Kuti's great Nigerian bands. Around my favorite tracks of that album are some new Ethio jazz and a few other stray gems of African jazz.

We're keeping it classy and mellow today so you can be wild and unruly tonight, y'all... save that energy.

A classy sendoff for a year... well, it was a year. Thanks to all of you for keeping your own flames alive.