The Swap Meet 19 July 2026

This week it's farewell Rodney Franklin, the Berkeley-born jazz pianist and composer who died July 8, 2026. From his 1978 debut In the Center through the funk-fusion grooves of Windy City, Skydance, Vibrations, and The Eagle & The Condor, Franklin's touch on the keys helped define that warm, soulful strain of contemporary jazz that bridged the gap between the concert hall and the dance floor. His track "The Groove" birthed its own dance "the Freeze" in the UK, and his catalog is studded with nuggets - we spin several Rodney Records to send him off right. Aside from that we've got a set of current faves spanning soul, boogie, and rare groove - Chi-town legend Curtis Mayfield, Prince's pre-fame with 94 East, Doc Powell and The Isley Brothers keeping the quiet storm alive, and dancefloor goods from Class Action, Wuf Ticket, and Colonel Abrams. Add in some deep jazz-funk from Billy Cobham, Alphonse Mouzon, a highlife from with Dizzy K and Kyeremateng Atwedee, and closing out with Charles Bradley and Average White Band.