Stevie Wonder is a much-beloved American icon and an indisputable genius not only of R&B but popular music in general. His best records were a richly eclectic brew of soul, funk, rock & roll, sophisticated Broadway/Tin Pan Alley-style pop, jazz, reggae, and African elements — and they weren't just stylistic exercises; Wonder took it all and forged it into his own personal form of expression.
Suchmos is a Japanese rock group formed in 2013. The band’s name, Suchmos, is adapted from a jazz musician Louis Armstrong’s nickname, Satchmo. Suchmos' music includes elements such as rock, soul, jazz and hip-hop.
Brazilian jazz vocalist and pianist Tania Maria's career has spanned over three decades, starting when she was just 13 and she fronted a band of professional musicians organized by her father.
Featuring the production skills of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, Thievery Corporation released several warmly received singles on their own Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL) label (named after their own Washington, D.C. bar and nightclub) in 1996.
Washington, DC-based trio, Thunderball, are globally renowned purveyors of sophisticated, stereophonic-thrillers, and cinematic dub. Since 1997 their productions have shifted effortlessly between the genres of drum & bass, breakbeat and downtempo, building a strong following for their signature sound.
Trumpeter and crooner Till Brönner is the most famous German jazz musician of his generation, updating traditional bebop sensibilities via elements of contemporary R&B and hip-hop.
Tosca is the partnership between Richard Dorfmeister (of the trip-hop production team Kruder & Dorfmeister) and fellow producer Rupert Huber. Recording for K&D's G-Stone label, the outfit released five lush studio albums between 1997 and 2009, including Opera, Dehli9, and No Hassle (with the exception of No Hassle, all of them featured vocal collaborations), as well as a series of remix compilations.
Japanese-born DJ Towa Tei first earned notice for his production work on the Jungle Brothers' 1989 LP Done by the Forces of Nature; the following year he shot to fame as a member of the downtown New York club trio Deee-Lite, scoring an international hit with the classic Groove Is in the Heart.