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Ruth Naomi Floyd

Ruth Naomi Floyd is a gifted vocalist-composer who has been at forefront of creating vocal jazz settings that express Christian theology for over 13 years. As a leader, she has released several highly acclaimed recordings. Blessed with a soaring mezzo-soprano voice, critics have praised Ms. Floyd’s music for its distinctive sound of progressive ensemble jazz that is seamlessly blended with explicit Biblical messages of unwavering faith in God.

Ruth Naomi Floyd leads her own multi-faceted ensemble and her recordings consist primarily of original compositions. Her association as the co-founder of Contour Records ® affords her complete artistic freedom to record her own works and collaborate with a diverse range of musicians.

Ms. Floyd has recorded and/or performed with such notable instrumentalists as James Newton, Gary Thomas, James Weidman, Jay Hoggard, Bryan Carrott, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ralph Peterson, Jr., Uri Caine, Charles Fambrough, Julian Joseph, Craig Handy, Reggie Washington, Matthew Parrish, Mark Prince, Ed Howard, Tyrone Brown, T.K. Blue, Bobby Zankel and Greg Tardy.

Ruth Naomi Floyd, is the daughter of urban missionaries. She was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From a child she embraced the Christian faith and its immense body of music served as a constant influence and vital part of her life. She began to develop and share her musical talents as a young child by singing in church choirs and studying piano, flute and bassoon.

In 1994, Ruth Naomi Floyd released her debut recording, Paradigms for Desolate Times as a 12 song-cycle relating to themes of faith in salvation and rising above the difficulties of everyday life. Following a 1997 performance of these songs in London, England; The Times of London offered this important commentary:

“Ruth Naomi Floyd is a woman with a mission. She writes and performs songs whose lyrics either quote scripture or roughly paraphrase it. Unusually, however, instead of operating in the musical area generally associated with gospel singers such as Mahalia Jackson, Floyd is an out-and-out jazz singer ... Floyd’s voice highlights not only her superb dynamic control, flexibility and faultless diction, but also her most important asset: an unmistakable emotional integrity that conveys her music’s power to even the most recalcitrant non-believer.”

Inspired by her reading of the biblical passage from Romans 12:2; Ruth Naomi Floyd titled her 2nd recording, With New Eyes. Released in November 1997, With New Eyes was recognized as one of the best jazz vocal recordings of 1997 by jazz critic Gene Seymour for the national African American news magazine Emerge. In 1998, Ms. Floyd began a creative collaboration with pianist James Weidman. New York based since 1978, Mr. Weidman has earned a reputation as an exceptional vocal accompanist and sideman in demand for several notable ensembles. He has performed and recorded with some of the world’s most celebrated jazz vocalists, such as Abbey Lincoln, Cassandra Wilson and Kevin Mahogany.

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145
Album Review

Ruth Naomi Floyd: Root to the Fruit

Read "Root to the Fruit" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


Along with her sidework with instrumentalists Charles Fambrough, Uri Caine and other jazzmen of note, composer/vocalist Ruth Naomi Floyd gives voice to her own muse through her own label, Contour Records. Her fifth release continues her longstanding collaboration with pianist James Weidman, known for his accompaniment for vocalists Abbey Lincoln and Cassandra Wilson. It also features James Newton on flute, saxophonist Gary Thomas, and rhythm section aces Reggie Washington (bass) and Ralph Peterson (drums).

Root to the Fruit ...

152
Album Review

Ruth Naomi Floyd: Root to the Fruit

Read "Root to the Fruit" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Over the course of her two previous recordings, Walk and not be Faint and Fan into Flame, vocalist Ruth Naomi Floyd has directly approached Christian spiritual themes in jazz, with better success than other artists in other genres. On Root to the Fruit, Floyd continues her journey in earnest, exploring jazz modes of delivery as divergent as field chants and Archie Shepp solos.

“No Hiding Place opens the disc with conga riffs settling into a walking rhythm. Floyd ...

219
Album Review

Ruth Naomi Floyd: Root to the Fruit

Read "Root to the Fruit" reviewed by Jim Santella


Jazz and gospel come together on Ruth Naomi Floyd's Root to the Fruit, where she sings original material with a theatrical delivery. She works with a stellar jazz ensemble that includes flutist James Newton, tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas, bassist Reggie Washington and pianist James Weidman in feature roles, emphasizing the freedom that jazz can add to a setting. They improvise alongside the vocalist and help to relate a message of spiritual faith and understanding.

Floyd's strong voice fills ...

258
Album Review

Ruth Naomi Floyd: Fan Into Flame

Read "Fan Into Flame" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


In the Spirit?Ruth Naomi Floyd begins her new recording Fan Into Flame where she left off with her last, Walk and Not Be Faint . That would be with the sleek, swinging delivery of the Good News using jazz as the chariot. Ms. Floyd mines the contemporary (Duke Ellington's “In the Beginning God") and not so recent (Mahalia Jackson's “Lord Don't Move That Mountain") and sprinkles these jewels among her and pianist James Weidman's fresh compositions. ...

115
Album Review

Ruth Naomi Floyd: Walk And Not Be Faint

Read "Walk And Not Be Faint" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Spiritual Jazz. Ruth Naomi Floyd’s jazz is decidedly spiritual. No wonder as she was raised in the Church, daughter of prominent Philadelphia, PA minister, the Reverend Melvin Floyd. She covers the familiar modern hymn “We are one in the Spirit” with enough smart swing to cause the walls to tumble. Smart is the key operative. Floyd’s arrangements and phrasing are carefully crafted tomes tastefully conceived and executed. Her mezzo voice is pliant and cooperative, very pleasing, exuding her spiritual music ...

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Event

May 5 Benefit with William Edgar, John Patitucci and Ruth Naomi Floyd in NYC

May 5 Benefit with William Edgar, John Patitucci and Ruth Naomi Floyd in NYC

Source: All About Jazz

Heaven in a Nightclub: A Benefit Concert for Chesterton House NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Philosopher and pianist William Edgar, along with Grammy Award winner and bassist John Patitucci, vocalist Ruth Naomi Floyd, and saxophonist Joe Salzano, will present an evening journey of music and history to benefit Chesterton House, a center for Christian studies affiliated with Cornell University and located in Ithaca, N.Y. The benefit event is titled Heaven in a Nightclub, in which the African-American experience of misery and ...

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