We start in softness with abstract impressionism and ethereal sound tapestries by harp legend Alice Coltrane. The more I listen to her catalog, the more I realize she measures up to her husband in her ability to move me emotionally. This is taken from her second album Huntington Ashram Monastery. Harp on the A-side, piano on the B-side. Also, check out this 13-min video.

Manu Dibango definitely knows how to tease. The Cameroonian musician composed the soundtrack of the 1977 African movie Ceddo, and those who stayed for the end credits were delighted to hear this hidden gem by the vibraphone virtuoso.

With an enchanting voice full of life and tenderness, Letta Mbulu radiates warmth from deep within. Her spellbinding 1983 album In The Music… The Village Never Ends is one of those holy grail African records that cannot go unnoticed once you stumble across its artwork or any song featured on it. An album worth listening to end-to-end.

We continue with a forgotten treasure from Guadeloupean singer Cida Desvarieux blending beautiful vocals, a slap bass and powerful guitar riffs.

From here onwards, it gets hot and groovy. We properly kick it off with a beloved single among disco lovers, recorded in 1970 Spain by Ramon Arcusa. The grooves are surely on point but it’s the flute that makes the song stand out from the pack of disco songs of that era.

Undeniable bass line (deja vu? it’s sampled on Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Hypnotize’), tinkly piano and crisp vibraphone accompany Alpert’s warm and emotive trumpet on ‘Rise’, an easy-listening, foot-tapping  #1 hit from the late seventies.

Call it atmospheric ballad, jazzy meandering or slinky hit, there is arguably nothing outstanding about this song but it has all the traditional ingredients to be warm and catchy. A bit of funk, a bit of jazz, a saxophone solo, Hucknall’s sensual voice and a slightly annoying backing chorus.

The British duo Mike Collins and Keith O'Connell recorded their 1981 club hit ‘Rude Movements’ on guitar, Fender Rhodes, a Prophet 5 synthesizer and a Roland CR78 drum machine. It caught the audiophile ears of the legendary David Mancuso, made it into its record crates, became a staple of The Loft, and the rest is history. With looming synths and unique rhythm guitar lines, this fusion of cosmic disco and jazz is a masterpiece of immersive smoothness.

More horns and feel-good instrumentals on another song from Herb Alpert, taken from his 1983 album Blow Your Own Horns. It’s a bit repetitive, I would have enjoyed a little twist at some point, but for a casual stroll down the street on a sunny summer afternoon, this is all you need.

Punkin Machine’s ‘I Need You Tonight’ was first heard in the clubs in 1981. This disco bomb became an instant hit and was eventually covered by Suzy Q a year later.

If you’re familiar with Dalida, this 12-minute bilingual French and English song is the continuation of her biggest worldwide hit ‘Gigi l'amoroso’. At the time, she was hosting an American-style series of shows to critical acclaim, and the album was launched right after, following the same success trajectory. This song follows the tragic events of Gigi who dies and goes up to disco heaven. It was her last disco hit.

And now... Our Feature Presentation. We continue with a major figure in the UK library music scene and a song you’ve probably already heard. ‘Funky Fanfare’ was familiar to cult movie fans for its appearance in “Astro Daters” snipes played by 1970s drive-in movie theaters before a feature presentation. Tarantino also played a big role in resurfacing the song to younger generations when he featured it on Kill Bill.

I’m obsessed with the beginning of this song, and that key change is beyond gorgeous. Hazlewood’s distinctive baritone voice in 4/4 time against the sweet voice of Sinatra in 3/4 makes for a weird, unsettling, yet soothing song that’s unlike anything else I’ve heard. Two different keys, yet both parts blend so seamlessly.

On the title track of their 2014 album, Canada’s folk-blues ringmasters Timber Timbre seduce and absorb us into a smokey atmosphere about unrequited love. Whether it’s Taylor Kirk’s oaky baritone or the silky saxophone solo leading to a violently euphoric finish, this candlelit soft-rock song is wonderfully charming and nostalgic. A pure gem.

With her alluring tone, sensuous lyrics and virtuous musicianship, Peggy Lee was regarded as the first important female singer-songwriter in the history of American popular music. Drenched in sarcasm and sadness, ‘Me and My Shadow’ is a haunting song about a woman who has given up on love and embraced the resulting emptiness.

We end with Nina Simone’s subtle interpretation of 'I Loves You, Porgy'. Originally a duet from the Porgy and Bess opera, the song was recorded as a solo by many well-known musicians (Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Bill Evan, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong) before spurring the career of Nina Simone when it served as the climax of her 1959 debut album Little Girl Blue.