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MeShell NdegeOcello

Following the release of 2011′s critically acclaimed Weather, Meshell Ndegeocello announces the release of her 10th studio album, Pour une âme souveraine (“For a sovereign soul”), a dedication to fellow musician Nina Simone. Joined by musicians Chris Bruce (guitar), Jebin Bruni (keys) and Deantoni Parks (drums), the singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and vocalist reworked some of the tracks made famous by the iconic musician. Guests on the album include Sinead O’Connor, Lizz Wright, Valerie June, Tracy Wannomae, Toshi Reagon and Cody ChesnuTT. To celebrate the release of the album, Meshell is sharing the iconic track “Be My Husband,” which just premiered on NPR. Flush with stomps, claps and chants, Meshell is accompanied on vocals by New York singer-songwriter Valerie June.

After only ten days in the studios of guitarist Pete Min, this album was born, reflecting Meshell’s admiration for the pioneering work of an artist who refused to be owned by genre, industry, or expectation. As Meshell describes, this album is “a dedication to Nina Simone and her incredible influence but it is also a dedication to the single, interior life we all experience.” Revered by Meshell, Nina Simone was a powerful influence both musically and politically. Her music was highly instrumental in the fight for equal rights in the United States. “She wanted success, was pressured to make hits, but her own sound was still irrepressible,” explains Meshell. “She had things to say, she protested. She was a loud, proud black, female voice during a time when black female voices were not encouraged to make themselves heard.”

Comprised of a mix of traditional classics (“Feelin’ Good”), songs written by Nina Simone (“Real Real”), or for her (“To Be Young, Gifted and Black” by Weldon Irvine), the album represents a full spectrum of Nina Simone’s work and life. From the pulsing of the traditional ballad “House Of The Rising Sun,” the velvety, soul filled vocals of “Feeling Good,” and a bluegrass duet with Sinead O’Connor in “Don’t Take All Night,” Meshell Ndegeocello gives a subtle spin to the tracks off the Pour une âme souveraine.

“We really wanted to do something we felt was true to Nina Simone. By that realizing it meant we had to do what felt true to us,” says Chris Bruce, who co-produced the album along with Meshell and wrote the arrangements. “The aim was not to re-create the existing versions, because we felt strongly that the only way to honor Nina would be for Meshell to find her own voice in the material.

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Play This!

Meshell Ndegeocello: Gatsby

Read "Meshell Ndegeocello: Gatsby" reviewed by Scott Lichtman


For 2024, the Grammys introduced a new category for Best Alternative Jazz Album, i.e. a genre-blending, envelope-pushing hybrid that mixes jazz with other styles. The first winner is Meshell Ndegeocello for The Omnichord Real Book. While Ndegeocello's pieces span jazz, hip hop, African, folk, and electronica influences, she's also capable of writing beautiful ballads. Have a listen to “Gatsby." Is it a fresh perspective on the classic novel The Great Gatsby or perhaps a reflection about her life... or yours? ...

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Radio & Podcasts

A Hip-Hop Jazz Thing @50 - Part 2

Read "A Hip-Hop Jazz Thing @50 - Part 2" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


This week we take a look back at decades of cross pollination between jazz and hip-hop, with a focus on international projects and on collaborations between jazz and hip-hop artists. Our little contribution to the celebrations of half a century of hip-hop. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Dream Warriors “My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style" And Now the Legacy Begins (Island Records, 4th & Broadway) ...

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Album Review

Sam Gendel: Cookup

Read "Cookup" reviewed by Scott Gudell


Saxophonist Sam Gendel has sent out an invitation to an unusual sonic Cookup. So what is he serving? Who will be there? Will beat poets merge with experimental musicians in a smoky jazz grotto? Will it be a cryptic musical labyrinth or a collection of meandering songs? Is it a transcription of ancient African organic rhythms or something more modern? The answer is elusive and, by design, a moving target. There are bits and pieces of all the ...

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Album Review

Pat Metheny: From This Place

Read "From This Place" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


When a musician of Pat Metheny's pedigree writes, “From This Place is one of the records I have been waiting to make my whole life," it seems prudent to listen. Each of these ten new compositions seems to reflect a different aspect of Metheny as composer and guitarist, casting his bright and articulate voice in various configurations of his core band (Welsh pianist Gwilym Simcock, Malaysian/Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Antonio Sanchez, whose tenure with ...

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Album Review

Pat Metheny: From This Place

Read "From This Place" reviewed by Emmanuel Di Tommaso


Sono vari i motivi per i quali è difficile trattenere l'entusiasmo di fronte all'uscita di From This Place, ritorno su disco di Pat Metheny. Il piacere dell'attesa, innanzitutto: ben sei anni sono trascorsi dall'uscita del precedente album in studio Kin () (Nonesuch, 2014), un lasso di tempo che ai fans più appassionati sarà sembrato infinito, considerata la prolificità di Metheny nel corso della sua quarantennale carriera. Altro fattore di entusiasmo è sicuramente il trio che accompagna Metheny in ...

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Album Review

Pat Metheny: From This Place

Read "From This Place" reviewed by John Kelman


It's been a full six years since Pat Metheny last released a studio recording. This, despite the guitarist who has become, in a career now in the midst of its fifth decade, one of the most famous and influential jazz guitarists of his (or, some would argue, any) generation, reportedly having enough material in the can for five or six releases. Nor is it as if he hasn't kept busy. The guitarist, for whom live performance has always ...

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What is Jazz?

2019 Winter JazzFest's Weekend Marathon: A Survival Guide

Read "2019 Winter JazzFest's Weekend Marathon: A Survival Guide" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


With each passing year, Winter JazzFest—New York's premiere jazz festival—has expanded the number of venues presenting an increasingly diverse array of musicians. There are several ways to approach a programme as dense and exciting as the 2019 edition of the two-day Marathon spanning January 11th and 12th. Thanks to an embarrassment of riches, festival goers face some difficult choices but your friends at All About Jazz are here to help ensure you have the best possible experience. Our suggestions reflect ...

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Event

Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival Features Meshell Ndegeocello, Will Calhoun Trio, Christian Scott And More

Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival Features Meshell Ndegeocello, Will Calhoun Trio, Christian Scott And More

Source: Berklee Media Relations

On September 28, music lovers of all ages will gather for the 13th Annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival in Boston’s historic South End – home to several legendary clubs during Boston’s jazz heyday. The all-day, free outdoor event will offer contemporary jazz, Latin, blues, and soul acts on three stages. Natixis Global Asset Management (NGAM), one of the world’s leading asset managers, is the presenting sponsor of the festival and will present a $5,000 scholarship to a student musician. Past ...

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Performance / Tour

Meshell Ndegeocello: Three Nights of Prince Covers

Meshell Ndegeocello: Three Nights of Prince Covers

Source: JamBase

TWO SHOWS IN LOS ANGELES; ONE IN OAKLAND AND ONE IN SAN FRANCISCO Meshell Ndegeocello will be performing four shows on the West Coast next month: March 3 and 10 at Cafe Largo in Los Angeles, March 12 at The New Parish in Oakland, and March 13 at the Independent in San Francisco. For the March 3 date at Largo, Meshell will be performing duets with Chris Bruce and playing songs from throughout her career, including her most recent release, ...

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Event

Meshell Ndegeocello Confirmed for NYC Jazz Foundation Benefit

Meshell Ndegeocello Confirmed for NYC Jazz Foundation Benefit

Source: Lisa Cooney Carter

DOWNTOWN NYC MUSICIANS PLAY FOR JAZZ FOUNDATION AND REMEMBER DRUMMER LANCE CARTER WITH SPECIAL GUESTS CASSANDRA WILSON, MESHELL NDGEOCELLO New York, NY - Friends and colleagues of the late New York drummer, Lance Carter, announce a benefit evening of performances by leading New York City avant-garde and experimental musicians. The Lance Carter Memorial Benefit for the Musicians' Emergency Fund of the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) will take place at the downtown music club, THE KNITTING FACTORY at 74 Leonard ...

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Event

Meshell Ndegeocello, Cassandra Wilson, And Stephanie Mills To Perform At "You Rock My Soul" Gmhc's Benefit Concert At Carnegie Hall On November 11th

Meshell Ndegeocello, Cassandra Wilson, And Stephanie Mills To Perform At "You Rock My Soul" Gmhc's Benefit Concert At Carnegie Hall On November 11th

Source: All About Jazz

September 30, 2002 - New York, NY - Critically acclaimed musician and songwriter, Meshell Ndegeocello will perform at “You Rock My Soul", a star-studded gala event at Carnegie Hall on November 11th, 7:30pm-9:30pm benefiting Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). Ndegeocello will also serve as the event's musical director. The celebrity-hosted fundraiser will feature performances by many of today's leading recording artists in unique and unprecedented collaborations.

“Like good music, GMHC has found community in tragedy, survival in the face of ...

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Event

Cassandra Wilson, Stephanie Mills, Rahsaan Patterson, Bilal, Mark Cohn, And Yerba Buena Featuring Andre Levin Set To Join Meshell Ndegeocello For GMHC'S "You Rock My Soul", An Aids Benefit Concert

Cassandra Wilson, Stephanie Mills, Rahsaan Patterson, Bilal, Mark Cohn, And Yerba Buena Featuring Andre Levin Set To Join Meshell Ndegeocello For GMHC'S "You Rock My Soul", An Aids Benefit Concert

Source: All About Jazz

Carnegie Hall, November 11th.

Tony Award Winner, Heather Headley, To Perform At Exclusive Post-Concert Reception At Club Guastavinos.

Critically acclaimed musician and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello will be joined on stage by Cassandra Wilson, Stephanie Mills, Rahsaan Patterson, Bilal, Mark Cohn and Yerba Buena featuring Andre Levin for You Rock My Soul, in a star-studded gala event at New York's Carnegie Hall on November 11th (7:30pm-9:30pm) benefiting Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC).

Meshell Ndegeocello, who plays double duty as musical director ...

Lynn Ligammari
saxophone
Tyrone Birkett
saxophone, alto
Sara Filipova
composer / conductor
Bees Deluxe
band / ensemble / orchestra
Anna Iachino
poet / spoken word

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Cookup

Nonesuch Records
2023

buy

From This Place

Nonesuch Records
2019

buy

Weather

Self Produced
2011

buy

The Spirit Music...

Shanachie Records
2005

buy

Anywhere (featuring Meshell Ndegeocello)

From: Cookup
By MeShell NdegeOcello

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