Meshell Ndegeocello
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Beautiful & fierce experimental R&B/pop
Status:
Most recent release, Ventriloquism (covers, 2018); most recent release of own material, Comet, Come to Me (2014)
See also:
Meshell Ndegeocello's site
Comparisons:
Is there anyone like her at all?
Covers/own material:
Own and co-written, with occasional covers
General comments:
A pioneer in experimental R&B, Meshell Ndegeocello writes emotional, changeable music that explores the edges of pop music and balances beauty and power. (Neile)
Recommended first album:
The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams
Recordings:
- Plantation Lullabies (1993)
- Peace Beyond Passion (1996)
- Bitter (1999)
- Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape (2002)
- Comfort Woman (2003)
- The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel (2005)
- The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams (2007)
- Devil's Halo (2009)
- Weather (2011)
- Pour une âme souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone (2012)
- Comet, Come to Me (2014)
- Ventriloquism (covers, 2018)
Bitter
Release info:
1999—Maverick—9 47439-2
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Meshell Ndegeocello
Guest artists:
Abe Labdriel, Jr.
Doyle Bramhall II
Lisa Coleman
Chris Bruce Wendy Melvoin
Greg Leisz
David Torn
Ronny Drayton
Danny Sadownick
Biti Straug
Araf St. Michael
Joe Henry
Sandra Park
Sharon Yamata
Alan Stepansky
Robert Rinehart
Produced by:
Craig Street
Comments:
it's brilliant and heartbreaking, and makes me curl into the fetal position and want to cry. seriously. that good. 'fool of me' is absolutely perfect. (sketches@earthlink.net)
The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams
Release info:
2007—EmErcy
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Meshell Ndegeocello—vocals, bass, organ, guitar, hi-hat, drums, keyboards, various other instruments
Guest artists:
Hamza Yusuf—vocals (1)
Brandon Ross—guitar (1, 6)
Deantoni Parks—drums (2, 8, 9, 10)
Mike Severson—guitars (2, 12)
Daniel Jones—vocals (3)
Oliver Lake—saxophone (4)
James Newtom—flute (4, 5)
George McMullen—trombone (4)
Farenheit—intro vocals (5)
Hervé Sambe—guitar (5, 7, 9)
Rhamis Kent—guitar (5), drums (11)
Gilmar Gomes—percussion (5, 9)
Sy Smith—vocals (6, 9, 12, 13)
Amatus-Sami—programming (6)
Graham Haynes—cornet (6)
Davi Vieira—percussion (6, 7, 8)
Oumou Sangare—vocals (7)
Pat Metheny—guitar (7, 8)
Thandiswa Mazwai—vocals (8)
Doyle Bramhall—guitar (9)
David Gilmore—giutar (9)
Daniel Jones—keyboards (9), synths (12)
Scott Mann—additional keyboards and ambience (9)
Chad Royce—additional keyboards and ambience (9)
Jason Lindner—keyboards (10)
Jack Bean—spoken word (11)
Mark Kelley—bass (12)
Robert Glasper—piano (12)
Produced by:
Meshell Ndegeocello with Erk Dyba, Scott Mann & Chad Royce
Comments:
One of my top CDS of 2007. I'm a longtime fan, and this is her strongest yet. She keeps getting more and more artful and more tapped into her creative well, her art, her spirituality. This is a really really deep record that I'm only beginning to scratch the surface of. (timjy@sbcglobal.net)Ack! Why did it take me three years to discover this album? I've been hearig about Meshell Ngegeocello for years and never followed through on tracking down her music. Now I'm embarrassed I've wasted so much time. This is a gorgeous evocative album encompassing a broad range but also creatively focused. It's experimental but also highly listenably based on rhythm and blues. The music and vocals are flowing and powerful. Don't be like me—check this out NOW. Highly, highly recommended. (Neile)
Comet, Come to Me
Release info:
2014—Naïve—NV831112
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Meshell Ndegeocello
Guest artists:
Jabin Bruni—keyboard performance and programming
Sylvester Earl Harvin—drums and percussion
Chris Bruce—guitar, bass (1)
Amp Fiddler—synth bass (1)
Doyle Bramhall—guitar and vocals (2, 3)
Jonathan Wilson—guitar (3, 6)
Gabe Noel—cello (6)
My Brightest Diamond—vocals (6)
Kaveh Rastegar—bass (9)
Produced by:
Smoke And Mirrors
Comments:
The mellow songs on this album I like a lot. What I can't stand is having to concentrate on different textures that don't have a commonality. Maybe I'm special that way, but it's extremely unnerving to me not knowing what direction the music is taking. May be some form of ADHD. Rating: 45/100. Best track: "Folie A Deux." (raschee@gmail.comm)There are a lot of interesting sounds, but the album also feels kind of bipolar, swinging from one to the next. Maybe it feels more cohesive after enough listens, which I'm not interested enough to give it. I do really like the song "Good Day Bad" and the collaboration with My Brightest Diamond on the title track. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Ventriloquism
Release info:
2018—Naïve—M6702
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Meshell Ndegeocello—bass, vocals
Guest artists:
Chris Bruce—guitar
Jebin Bruni—keyboards
Abraham Rounds—drums, vocals
Kat Khaleel—additional vocals ("I Wonder if I Take You Home," "nite and day," "sometimes it snows in april," "don't disturb this groove")
Justin Hicks, Jonathan Hoard—additional vocals ("atomic dog 2017")
Kaveh Rastegar—additional bass ("sometimes it snows in april," "funny how time flies")
Chris Pierce—harmonica ("tender love")
Adam Levy—additional guitar ("sensitivity," "private dancer")
Jeff Parker—additional guitar ("don't disturb this groove," "smooth operator")
Doyle Bramhall II—additional guitar ("atomic dog 2017")
Levon Henry—woodwinds ("sensitivity," "private dancer")
Anne Schermerhorn—spoken word ("funny how time flies")
Eric Schermerhorn—narration ("smooth operator")
Produced by:
Jebin Bruni
Comments:
So good. I can't really comment on it as a covers album as I'm not familiar with most of the originals, but it certainly does invoke a 90s feel, though updated. The songs I do know ("Waterfalls," "Private Dancer," "Smooth Operator") are recognizable without being mere copies. "Waterfalls" in particular has been remade with interesting (in a good way!) results. (JoAnn Whetsell)One of the best albums of the year. (timjy@sbcglobal.net)
Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
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