Today, come to the foot of the stage with band leader and activist Michael Mwenso at The Greene Space, home of New York Public Radio in Manhattan. Mwenso, born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, has electrified the music scene, from performing onstage with James Brown to leading his own band of renowned artists called The Shakes.

In Fall of 2022, during a three-day residency called “Michael Mwenso Loves You,” Mwenso explored his views of Black music as a source of spiritual healing. In what he called “ancestral communal listening experiences,” he shared songs and conversation with musical luminaries.

In this episode, Michael Mwenso sits down with Grammy award-winning musician Jon Batiste. Together, they riff off one another’s expert perspectives as they listen through a selection of musical greats from previous generations, like Bessie Smith, James Brown and Ray Charles.