Where: Ronnie Scott's
London
W1D 4HT
United Kingdom
London
What: Meshell Ndegeocello @ Ronnie Scott's
When:
Singer and bass virtuoso Meshell Ndegeocello performs music from 2024’s acclaimed album ‘No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin’. A celebration of James Baldwin’s life, work and legacy, released to mark the centennial of the eminent writer’s birth in Harlem, with No More Water, Ndegeocello embarks on a prophetic musical odyssey that transcends boundaries and genres, delving headfirst into race, sexuality, religion, and other recurring themes explored in the celebrated writer’s canon. The multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer renders an immersive and palpable document that is as sagacious, unabashed, and introspective as Baldwin was in life. Fans have come to expect the unexpected from Meshell and follow her on sojourns into soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, rock, all bound by the search for love, justice, respect, and resolution. Those sonic investigations have defied and redefined the expectations for women, for queer artists, and for black music for over 30 years and she remains one of few women who writes the music, sings the songs, and leads the band. A bass player above all else, Meshell brings her warm, fat, and melodic groove to everything she does.
How Much:
www.bandsintown.com InStockLondon
W1D 4HT
United Kingdom
Who: Meshell Ndegeocello
Funk
Meshell Ndegeocello (b. August 29, 1968) is a singer, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist. She was born Michelle Johnson to Army lieutenant (and saxophonist) father Jacques Johnson and her mother, Helen in Berlin, Germany.
Raised in Washington, D.C., Meshell Suihailia Bashir Shakur (as she became known) adopted the surname Ndegeocello, which means “free like a bird”, while still in her teens. She has been hailed in the music press as a redeemer of soul music. Her music incorporates funk, soul, hip-hop, reggae, rock and jazz. She has been nominated for 9 Grammys. She has frequently toured with Lilith Fair.
Ndegeocello honed her chops on the D.C. Go go circuit in the late 1980s before venturing out as a solo artist. She emerged as a recording artist in 1993 on Maverick Records/Sire Records with her debut, Plantation Lullabies. This recording presented a distinctly androgynous persona. Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks including How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Batman and Robin. She has also appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx and The Blind Boys of Alabama, among others. Her biggest hit is a duet with John Mellencamp, a cover version of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night”, which reached #3 on the Billboard charts.
Her singles “If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)”, “Leviticus: Faggot”, and her cover of Bill Withers “Who Is He and What Is He To You?” have all charted in the Billboard top 20. She sang background vocals on the song “I’d Rather be Your Lover” by Madonna, on her album “Bedtime Stories.”. She also sang with Chaka Khan on the single “Never Miss the Water”, as well as providing her typical solid bass skills.