Me'Shell Ndeg廩cello Experiments With New Writing,
Recording Methods
BY CARRIE BELL
LOS ANGELES -- With the bitter comes the sweet. And no one captures
that feeling better than the provocative and talented Me'Shell Ndeg廩cello,
whose third album, "Bitter," bows Aug. 31 on Maverick.
"Bitter has gotten a bad rap. You learn a lot from
pain, and pain often makes joy taste sweeter. The
world is made up of 10,000 joys and 10,000
sorrows, and I wanted to celebrate that sentiment
on this album," Ndeg廩cello says.
She continues, "The [set's] first instrumental,
'Adam,' and its companion piece, 'Eve,' represent
the first relationship, which we all relate to on some
level. And it ends with someone finding self and learning to love thyself.
" 'Bitter' is about duality and contradictions, about love and hate, about
relationships, about how we are all perfect beings struggling to find peace in
a world of contradictions."
To bring these themes out, Ndeg廩cello tried new writing and recording
techniques. Inspired by Indigo Girls' impromptu jam sessions backstage at
Lilith Fair and several acoustic albums by the likes of Chris Whitley and
Chocolate Genius, the singer/songwriter purchased and used her first
acoustic guitar. She chose a new producer, Craig Street (k.d. lang and
Cassandra Wilson), and wrote some songs with her old producer, David
Gamson.
She also invited a bevy of guests to help her on the album, including Joe
Henry, Wendy & Lisa, percussionists Daniel Sadownick and Abe LaBoriel
Jr., composer David Torn, Steven Barber, Doyle Bramhall II, Chris Bruce,
and Ronnie Drayton.
"I love handing over the reins," she says of the album, which includes a
cover of Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love." "I get sick of myself, and
working with people allowed for a more live sound. It also allows me to like
my own album. I never did before. It felt narcissistic.
"You never want to do the same song over and over," she continues.
"Maybe one day I'll become the Backstreet Boys, but for now, I'm just me.
Me, who goes with whatever feeling I'm having, gets a picture in my head,
and writes just enough songs for an album. Then I move on to the next
project."
Ndeg廩cello's ability to seamlessly fuse rock, jazz, funk, and soul -- as well
as add in sometimes-political, often shocking, and always-intelligent lyrics --
is probably what helped her become the first female artist on Maverick's
roster. She has created two previous knockout albums, scored three
Grammy nods, and sold 500,000 records in the U.S. alone, according to
SoundScan.
Her first album, "Plantation Lullabies," peaked at No. 166 on The Billboard
200 in 1994, while her 1996 set, "Peace Beyond Passion," climbed to No.
63.
To market the new disc, Maverick intends to provide multiple opportunities
for folks to hear the set before they buy it. The label plans to be involved in
listening post programs, as well as will schedule in-store performances and
supply overhead play copies at key indie and major retailers and
gay/straight lifestyle outlets, like upscale boutiques, hair salons, and
restaurants.
Both the WEA/Maverick field reps and the Nike Street Team will canvass
those accounts and like-minded shows with free CD samplers, fliers, and
postcards. Poster sniping will also take place in major cities.
The album's first single, "Grace," will debut on Internet radio, although the
label has yet to choose on which site or sites. It will also be worked to
R&B, alternative, triple-A, college, and NPR radio stations the last week in
July.
Maverick will also book several online chats with the artist and hold a live
cybercast of a performance on www.maverickrc.com/meshell.
Ndeg廩cello has had six songs chart on Hot R&B Singles & Tracks,
including the No. 35 "Who Is He And What Is He To You" and the No. 67
"If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)." Her duet with John
Mellencamp, "Wild Night," peaked at No. 3 on The Billboard Hot 100.
"Grace" has also been placed on 200,000 Lilith Fair samplers and will be
one of the tracks available through a promotion with CustomDisc. When
consumers pre-order "Bitter," they will have the chance to make a custom
CD with up to six songs for $6.99 and three cover art options. Other choice
cuts include B-sides and previously unreleased material.
"I love the Internet. It gives fans more access to artists and artists more
power over their careers," Ndeg廩cello says. "It gives me the opportunity
to release more stuff -- live tracks, alternate versions.
"I'm not even bothered by people bootlegging my music or by MP3s as long
as they respect it. People want your music. What is bad about that? I've
been rethinking whether my art should be my livelihood lately anyway."
Consumers will also have plenty of chances to hear the soulstress, who is
booked by Monterey Peninsula Artists and managed by Ruth Carson,
perform live. She started opening the main stage at 12 East Coast Lilith Fair
dates July 24, and will continue to do so until Aug. 8.
Post-Lilith, there will be a series of secret shows, including one scheduled
around Aug. 23 in Los Angeles. France will be graced with her presence in
September, and a headlining U.S. club tour will follow in the fall.
"Making records is a vehicle that allows me to play live, which is where you
get your instant gratification as an artist," she says. "The music industry will
come and go, but nothing can take away all the joy I've found traveling the
world, meeting my idols like Bonnie Raitt, or looking into the eyes of
someone who knows all the words to one of my songs. That tells me I'm
successful. All the record sales in the world couldn't say the same thing."
--
gender is just an excuse, relationship shouldn't just be an excuse,
love is often an excuse, although sometimes these excuses are all
we have to hold onto,
death is the reason and living is the celebration
- Beth Orton
--
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