One of the great losses in this era of downloadable, individual songs is the practice of sitting down with a new album and letting it seep into your soul. That’s especially important for an artist like Meshell Ndegeocello, who explores unexpected avenues in her music. When she released songs from
The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams in two batches during 2006-07, the songs at first seemed strange, an unfamiliar landscape. Only gradually did the magic emerge, and it’s definitely a masterpiece.
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Tags: great music by Jon O
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On a recent trip to New York, my partner and I visited specific locations referenced in songs by our favorite artists while we listened to the song. The concept of a musical tour of the city made for an intriguing plan. Our first stop was Washington Square Park. In “Garlands,” Tori Amos sings about two lovers meeting up here to go see a Chagall exhibit uptown. The paintings seem to chronicle elements of their love. The song was a bonus track on The Beekeeper. Tori originally considered titling the song “Washington Square.” [Read more →]
I’m a huge MeShell Ndegeocello fan. I like all of her albums — something I can’t say about any other artist. But her recent performance covering Prince songs was a bit hit and miss. MeShell is a formidable interpreter of other people’s music. She has recorded phenomenal versions of songs by Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, Les McCann, Sonic Youth, and others. On June 16 she performed in Falls Church, Virginia, a range of hits and lesser known gems from Prince. 
On February 14, the Neo-Soul Ensemble of Boston’s Berklee College of Music performed “Free Like A Bird,” a tribute concert to MeShell Ndegeocello. For those of us who were not fortunate enough to attend in person (like myself), several videos of the concert have been posted on YouTube by music director/bassist Kenneth “Gizmo” Rodgers. The ensemble is extraordinary. They performed a range of MeShell’s repertoire, from neo-soul tunes like “Hot Night” to alternative rock songs like “Article 3″ by way of the avant-garde jazz number “Fish in an Aquarium.” This was the perfect Valentine to one of our best and underappreciated musicians, and the love the ensemble has for the music was evident in the performance. 
