Blue-in-green Sessions

Welcome to Episode #107 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with Chris Bestwick and Kishon Khan from Archie the Goldfish. Headed up by guitarist Bestwick and trumpeter Graeme Flowers, the duo set about this new musical venture during the pandemic lockdown in 2020 resulting in their debut 'Hidden Depths' released through Ropeadope Records that same year. UK-born but now residing in Helsinki, Chris Bestwick boasts an incredible resume that has seen him perform alongside revered names including James Taylor and Ali Slimani as well as creating music as part of the Finnish collective Timeforsoul, not to mention his releases as a solo artist in his own right. Bestwick's credentials are matched by his Archie the Goldfish collaborator, Graeme Flowers, who can not only boast serving as a member of the funk & soul band Down to the Bone but also chalking up performances with the Brand New Heavies and Kyle Eastwood among countless more names. The sublime five-track, instrumental EP present

Welcome to Episode #106 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with singer and songwriter, Randa Khamis. It's incredible to think that Randa and The Soul Kingdom's debut, self-titled album was released as far back as 2009. Still sounding as fresh and innovative now as it did upon first release, Randa Khamis led the charge with a personality-driven, powerhouse vocal. Backed by an all-star cast whose initial iteration featured Lance Ferguson (Menagerie, The Bamboos) on guitar and Ivan Khatchoyan (Cookin on 3 Burners, The Traffic) on drums, Randa and The Soul Kingdom went on to steal hearts of funk & soul fans the world over through dare-you-to-sit-still tracks like 'Feel It In Your Soul', 'Not Gonna Let You' and 'Lysistrata's Quest'. With two albums released through the revered Freestyle Records, this year marks the tenth year since the band's last album release and excitingly offers a thrilling reinvention of their sound. With the release of the collective's third full-length a

Welcome to Episode #105 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran reconnect with the saxophonist and producer, Allie Wilding. Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and now residing in Washington, the educator, writer and musician conveys such a unique perspective through her art that just bursts with creativity and personality. Allie's debut EP 'The Love-Chord' is released 11th February 2022 and is a remarkable exploration into a genre-defying, no rules approach to music-making that finds its joy within these exquisite cross-sections of where jazz, soul and hip-hop all meet. A phenomenal talent, we hope you enjoy this episode where we discuss Allie's musical journey to this point as well as this fantastic new EP and hope you'll be encouraged to explore Allie's music further her Bandcamp page: https://alliewilding.bandcamp.com/releases www.blueingreenradio.com www.blueingreenradio.com/p/listenlive.html TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the onl

Welcome to Episode #104 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran reconnect with the creator and host of the Super Sonido Show, La Molly. As well as discussing the highs and lows of the year before and looking to the year ahead, we discuss our can't-believe-it-happened podcast with Si*Se's Carol C from last year, Molly's foray into live DJ'ing and conversation turns to a wonderful show Molly put together for us last year looking at the evolution of Cumbia and how the music was impacted as it travelled through various parts of the world. Molly also takes her annual end-of-year quiz (see episode #73) so we can hear about some of the best moments of 2021 and explore her goals for 2022. The Super Sonido Show airs Tuesdays at 5pm UK / 10am, Denver, Colorado. www.blueingreenradio.com TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed

Welcome to Episode #103 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran reconnect with Raw Select's Sean Sophiea in Niigata, Japan. In a freewheeling conversation, we discuss some of our favourite music releases of 2021 and we also look at the paths our respective musical (mis)adventures have taken us down - exploring where we each are and where we'd each like to be. There's certainly a heavy 2021 music focus and we discuss Sean's YouTube reviews of his favourite releases which are great pieces covering some great albums. You can watch those in full below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9_EW4Dg94U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSap1Pk0cNg www.blueingreenradio.com TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the w

Welcome to Episode #102 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran connect with the founder of Futuristica Music, Simon S. 2021 saw the future soul label hit the incredible milestone of having reached its fifteenth year of releasing music so we take a look back at the year's releases - including the reissue of Simon's own 2018 album 'Music 4 Alternative Souls' - and look ahead to 2022 to discuss upcoming projects from Electric Conversation, K15 & Deborah Jordan, Georgie Sweet and newest Futuristica inductee, Izzie James. www.blueingreenradio.com TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.

Welcome to Episode #101 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran and Rhonda catch something of an impromptu conversation to discuss their respective Covid situations from different parts of the world and, on a more positive note, to discuss Rhonda's visit to the 2021 Monterey Jazz Festival. The conversation between Imran and Rhonda was actually the prelude to the actual conversation which was to be recorded for the 90s State of Mind podcast and would have seen the duo record delve into Brandy's self-titled debut album. You can catch that conversation, as well as other 90s album discussions, at 4ever in Electric Dreams: https://www.4everinelectricdreams.com/90s-state-of-mind-podcast.html And seeing as this is the final podcast before Christmas, we thought we'd inject an element of the festive season into the episode by housing Blue-in-Green's first play of Majamisty TriO's new Christmas single, 'The Days of Cakes and Christmas Trees'. From Novi Sad, Serbia, the piano-led trio make a welcome return wi

Welcome to Episode #100 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran secure time with singer, songwriter and producer, Leona Berlin. With her self-titled debut album initially released in 2018, Leona Berlin's neo-soul rooted take on contemporary R&B was spearheaded by some fantastic tracks including 'Thinking About You' (featuring Casey Benjamin), 'Walking', 'Cruel' and an excellent cover of Prince's 'Nothing Compares To You'. A real pleasure of a release but one that may very well be bettered by Berlin herself if the run-up of singles gearing towards her sophomore album 'Change' are anything to go by. Currently boasting the singles 'Feminine Energy', 'Too Good' and 'Who You Are', Leona's music has always demonstrated her charm and distinct personality, representative of an ever-evolving artist. During this episode, we talk to Leona about the new album 'Change', the singles leading up to the release, the lost art of the album, past collaborators and a look back to Leona's debut album of three years ago.

Welcome to Episode #99 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran secure time with saxophonist and composer, Alex Hitchcock. As well as serving as a member of numerous projects including Resolution 88 and AuB, Hitchcock's role as a band leader has led to some fantastic pieces of music and now, with his second release with the revered Spanish label Fresh Sound New Talent, Hitchcock seems poised to subvert expectations once again with the release of 'Dream Band'. With the release of 'Dream Band', Hitchcock assembles an inspired line-up of musicians to comprise his own dream band. With artists including Cherise Adams-Burnett, Joe Downard, Will Barry, Luisito Quintero and Midori Jaeger amongst a host of others, and recorded in London over the course of three days with the band arrangements mixed up for each session, the end results of this album must serve as a wholly satisfying experience for Hitchcock - hand-picking a range of fifteen world class artists whose talents each hold personal significance and b

In an episode that first aired 16th October 2021, Blue-in-Green:RADIO was overjoyed to broadcast an episode of their In Focus record label series celebrating the catalogue of Q-Sounds Recording. Founded in 2009, Q-Sounds is an independent funk & soul label who can boast a veritable treasure trove of contemporary gems from an inspired roster of vocalists and musicians. Calling Seine Saint-Denis their home, the label that thrives off of that quintessential analog sound was set up by Ludovic Bors and Chris Thomas who have strived to present some of France's brightest stars in today's revered scene. Bolstered by a dream team of acts including The Supertights, The VOGS, Lisa Melissa & the Mess, Principles of Joy, Little Clara, Laura Llorens & The Shadows of Love, The Adelians plus much more, Q-Sounds Recordings have earned the right to have their music cited in the same conversation as any of the forerunners of today's soul music scene. This episode of In Focus serves as a fantastic introduction to the label'

Welcome to Episode #98 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran and Rhonda dive into the latest project from The Purple Majesty himself 'Welcome 2 America'. Amongst the swathe of P releases to see the light of day since his passing, 'Welcome 2 America' holds the distinction of being the first full-length album to be released as originally intended. Shelved by the artist himself, inexplicably, for 11 years, Sony/Legacy bring the project to peoples' attention. Hailed for its sometimes harsh assessment of contemporary America, the thoughts and views expressed throughout are just as relevant today as they were 11 years ago. Join in the conversation to hear us discuss why we love the album as much as we do, why we feel the posthumous releases have just nailed it every time and what we'd love to see tackled by the Estate next. Also, this conversation took place in September - it was supposed to take place in August but Rhonda was unavailable due to plans to see Vanilla Ice in concert so you definitely wan

Welcome to Episode #97 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran secure time with Detroit's own, Kathy Kosins. With six solo albums to her name, the singer, songwriter and producer boasts such an incredible music career that charts back to early recording sessions with the revered bass guitarist Michael Henderson, Was (Not Was) and Gene Dunlap. Having performed all over the world, Kosins solo career has seen immeasurable success with her most recent full-length 'Uncovered Soul' (released in 2018) embraced by entirely new markets with its dance and house-orientated remixes courtesy of Simbad, Gilles Peterson and OPOLOPO. During this episode, we talk to Kathy about her initial break into the music industry, those early days as an in-demand singer and songwriter, venturing into her solo career and what it's like to break into the industry during the online streaming age versus a pre-internet era. We're thrilled to have secured time with Kathy and for more info on her music, we'd urge you to visit her onl

Welcome to Episode #96 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran secure time with pianist and producer, Matt Wilde. Released through Root Records/DeepMatter, Wilde's debut four-track EP - 'Believe in Things' - delivers as a wonderful response to events of the last year, while also serving as a project indicative of Manchester's booming hub of beats-inspired productions. From its celebration of diverse club culture, hip-hop, dance and electronica, Manchester has long been at the forefront of an open-minded approach to music. And it's a perspective shared by Wilde and wonderfully realised by the producer and musician. 'Believe in Things' boasts intricately woven, multi-textured compositions that celebrate hip-hop's influence on contemporary UK jazz. Having been surrounded by strong hip-hop influences for years, Wilde's affection for the piano eventually grew following introductions to jazz and the music of revered Miles Davis collaborator Bill Evans, jazz-funk legend Herbie Hancock and "American class

Welcome to Episode #95 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran & La Molly secure time with singer, songwriter, producer and DJ, Carol C. Perhaps most notably serving as the lead vocalist and co-founder of Si*Sé - the New York-based band were revered for their unique ability to effortlessly present their music as an amalgamation and fusion of various styles from hip-hop, dub, Latin rhythms and down-tempo electronica. With two full-length releases to their name - 'Si*Sé' (2001) and 'More Shine' (2005) - along two accompanying EPs, Si*Sé had amassed a devoted following due to their progressive and visionary approach to music-making. Carrying those exciting elements into her subsequent projects, Carol's awesome résumé boasts collaborations with a dynamic selection of talent including Gitkin, Atropolis, Nickodemus and finds her currently performing and recording with the Pimps of Joytime. Produced alongside Justin Filmer and mastered by Bob Power, Carol C's debut solo outing came in the form of 'Seven' i

Welcome to Episode #94 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran secure time with Futuristica Music recording artists, As Valet and LaNote. With so much personal history for each intertwined with the label - dating back to 2007 with the release of the Parisian future soul quartet Electric Conversation's debut album - it's a fitting turn of events that sees the former EC members return to the fold during the label's fifteen year celebrations to release solo projects serving as awesome extensions to the Electric Conversation legacy. As Valet's 'Virgo Stellar' presents a stunning ten-track album that steers the versatile DJ/producer away from recent instrumental hip-hop compositions towards a decidedly more electronic and future soul presentation featuring vocals throughout the album by LaNote and J.Mcfysian. LaNote's 'Rebirth' from earlier this year marks the artist's debut solo project with production courtesy of As Valet whose beat-tape style, use of lush samples, hip-hop inspired production and soulfu

Welcome to Episode #93 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran secure time with Millennium Jazz Music founder, Gadget. With the MJM brand established in 2003 by the indelible talents of producer, musician, DJ, rapper and beat-maker, Gadget, the label continues to achieve some staggering successes through the support of an ever-expanding, faithful and devoted fanbase. Through their revered Jazz Jousters series, a slew of releases from inspired homegrown and overseas talent and a distinctly unique vision, Millennium Jazz Music continually find new ways to present inspired and innovative new projects while many times paying homage to the music and artists that have served as their greatest inspiration. Our chat with Gadget looks at his own journey into music, what led him to starting the label and we delve into discussion about Jazz Jousters along with some of MJM's other notable releases. Again, a massive thanks to Gadget for his time and we hope you enjoy the episode. www.blueingreenradio.com Tune

Episode #6 of Blue-in-Green:RADIO's record label series, In Focus, saw us celebrate the awesome catalogue of London's Millennium Jazz Music. We're incredibly proud to announce that helping us navigate the exceptional catalogue of music that MJM has accumulated over the years is the label founder himself, Gadget. With tracks selected and mixed by Gadget and dubbed "A Naughty Forty", this two-hour mix serves as the definitive introduction to the label's fantastic music. Showcased through 40 tracks, the selections delve into the realms of hip-hop, left-of-centre soul and eclectic instrumentals. With the MJM brand established in 2003, the independent label has become a hub to inspired and dynamic music from across the world. A massive thank you to Gadget for taking the time to bless us with this incredible show and hope you will enjoy celebrating Millennium Jazz Music's monumental releases with us... http://www.blueingreenradio.com http://www.blueingreenradio.com/p/listenlive.html TuneIn: https://bit.ly/2LB

Welcome to Episode #92 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran flying solo for the fourth in his Misery Loves Company series. "What is your benchmark for success and what does it mean to you?" That's as good a starting point as any. Now let's talk about it. www.blueingreenradio.com TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST unveils new episodes on the first, second and third Mondays of the month. This podcast series runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.

Welcome to Episode #91 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST - which also doubles as #41 of the Close Encounters of the Nerd Kind podcast - and sees Imran, Dan & Tee-J discuss their favourite cover versions of the 21st century. You can find the link to our complete presentation below which features the podcast, the complete 100 list of covers and an accompanying Spotify playlist so you can check all the songs that we discuss: https://www.4everinelectricdreams.com/home/top-100-covers-of-the-21st-century www.blueingreenradio.com The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST unveils new episodes on the first, second and third Mondays of the month. This podcast series runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.

Welcome to Episode #90 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran secure time with musician and producer, Sunim Koria. The release of Koria's debut album scheduled for the end of this month comes with great excitement seeing as it is the culmination of a 16 year journey. Inspired by the pioneering efforts of those glorious early broken beat acts like Silhouette Brown and Kaidi Tatham, Sunim's 'Ecstasy and the Apple Tree' is an excellent fusion of a variety of styles and influences - very much a love letter not just to that era of music but to the period that inspired his passion in the first instance. Put together with the help of fifteen friends and musicians, it really is our pleasure to have secured time with Sunim at this incredible point in the album's journey. We discuss the album's creation, influences and life as an independent musician navigating the digital realm of marketing. 'Ecstasy and the Apple Tree' is released 28th June and is available to purchase via Bandcamp. www.blueingreenradio.