Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell Ndegeocello, bass, keys, vocals; Justin Hicks, vocals; Jake Sherman, hammond organ; Chris Bruce, guitars; Abraham Rounds, drums, vocals

Meshell Ndegeocello is a bass player above all else. A bass player who is also a vocalist, a poet, rapper, political activist… as well as the spark that ignited the neo-soul movement. An uncategorizable artist of great prowess and a brilliant instrumentalist with impressive credentials, Meshell excels at everything from soul, funk, R&B, hip-hop, rock and, of course, jazz. Ndegeocello started out on her career in the 1980s, recorded with Herbie Hancock and Madonna, Tony Allen and Chaka Khan in the 1990s, and played alongside the Rolling Stones and Alanis Morissette. Known to be a member of and an advocate for the queer community, her MTV hit, If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night), is regarded as a provocative post-feminist anthem.

Ever since her debut album, Plantation Lullabies (1993), her musical genius and political activism have been guided by critical thought and a reflection on radical alternatives. In this context, her latest project and third Grammy win, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin, can be seen as the culmination of her artistic work. Marking his centennial, it is an in-depth homage to the writer and essayist James Baldwin, author of incisive quotes and a trenchant critic of systemic racism. In live performances – dominated by Ndegeocello’s throbbing bass and the Hammond organ accompaniment – the weighty references to James Baldwin, Audra Lorde and Martin Luther King Jr. patch up the holes in America’s frayed collective memory.

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