Search - Meshell Ndegeocello :: Dance of the Infidel

Pure Jazz

Michael Crowley | Albany, CA USA | 07/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I like this CD a lot, but I can understand why Meshell's record company didn't know what to do with it, and why some of her fans don't like it. This is nothing like any other recording with her name on it. What it is is a great example of contemporary, straight-ahead jazz, with just a little bit of avant-garde flava.



There is definitely an In a Silent Way/Bitches Brew feel to some of the CD, what with the extended jams by large ensembles on tunes like Al-Falaq 113 and Luqman, but this is pure jazz, not jazz rock or jazz funk-soulful and modern, but not fusion. While there's electric bass throughout, electric guitar on one cut and electric keyboards and subtle atmospheric electronics on others, the instrumentation is predominantly acoustic-sax, trumpet, clarinet, piano, drums, harmonica, and voice. The last song, the standard When Did You Leave Heaven, sung by Lalah Hathaway, has such a traditional arrangement it could have been recorded any time in the last fifty years.



I have to admit that without her name on it I wouldn't have known Meshell had anything to do with this CD, but now that I know I hear her influence in the sultry, stony vibe some of the tunes have, like Aquarium (lots of spacey electronics on that one, with a beautiful vocal by someone named Sabina-I heard it as an anti-purdah song, but maybe it's just about a suffocating love affair); the title track, which is probably the most overtly "soulful" of the tracks on the CD; and especially the incredibly sexy song Cassandra Wilson sings, The Chosen, which incorporates lines from The Song of Solomon and ends with her purring "Come bare your soul to me...Come bare your soul to me...come....come....come...." But it's not all laid-back-those jams get pretty wild, as you would expect with players like Oliver Lake and Don Byron involved. The arrangements, incidentally, are beautiful throughout, with nice little touches like the steel drum solo that introduces Papillon.



This is a Meshell Ndegeocello (or as she is called everywhere but the front of the CD, Meshell Suhala Bashir-Shakur) project, not a Meshell Ndegeocello CD. She's very involved in that she wrote or co-wrote all but one of the tunes (only three of which are actually songs), co-produced and co-arranged the album, and is present on most of the cuts. On the other hand, she doesn't sing at all, doesn't play on three cuts (accounting for 24 minutes of the CD's 62 minute playing time), and shares bass-playing duties with another musician on 2 cuts.



But who cares? It's a great record. I hope the connection with her moves more units and opens more ears.



I did a little research and found out the brief opening track's name, Mu-min, means "a person who has deep faith in Allah and is a righteous and obedient servant of His." Al-Falaq 113 refers to one of the Koran's suras of refuge. Al Falaq means "The Dawn", and the number is the number of the sura, It's a very short sura. One translation goes "Say: 'I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn/From the mischief of created things/From the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads/From the mischief of those who practice Secret Arts/and from the mischief of the envious one as he practices envy." Luqman is the 31st sura of the Koran, named after Luqman the Sage. It is much too long to quote here. It's a profession of faith, urging people to turn their backs on their pagan traditions and follow the teachings of Muhammad and the way of Allah. It concludes "Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Now does any one know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: Now does any one know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and he is acquainted with all things.""

Shakur Nuff!

JL | nyc | 06/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i cannot say enough in praise of this landmark instant classick. with this release, MeShell has cemented her place in the J-Lexicon. what she has done with this stunningly, simmeringly beautiful and expansive jazzscape is the hardest thing to do in music: create something with universal, popular and instant accessibility while mining spiritual and heartfelt depth from The Muse.

"Spiritual Groove" indeed. this is SPIRITUAL music. do you know how hard that is to do and make and sell and make popular in these ever-corporate, ever-marginalized, ever-attention-diminishing-i-Times? this record is on a direct line from Coltrane's Love Supreme and Miles's slow-burning fusion albums. it is that good, that inspired, that necessary.



Cohesive and cogent, pungent and potent, truly and fully composed jazz statements of a hip-pastoral nature. expansive but tight organic grooves provide foundation for improv and soloing that is taste and freedom but never goes too out, always revolving around strong and compelling themes. this is not an experimental thing, its an in thing and a cool thing. Slow-burning and structured, orchestrated around the idea of freedom. like Sufis in slow-motion. Gracefully hypnotic.



3 12-minute quiet groove suites interspersed with 3 cool r+bish vocal songs, all exquisite, the 7.5 minute jewel of a title track and the timetraveling intro. there is little of the upfront bootyshakin funk bass thOmp she has done plently of in the past (for a sick-ass, if muted, example hear track 7: Luqman) this is another album, a wider and higher intent, and a bigger picture. ("influenced by life, Miles Davis, Kool Herc, Carl Sagan and holy scripture") this work invites everyone to come and traverse its pleasures and the sophisticated sweetness of its truths.



also of note is the Islamic/Arabic theme of the graphics/packaging/title/namechange to Bashir-Shakur. Me-Shell's publishing tag is Revolutionary Jazz Giant. while not revolutionary from a strictly musicological point, expressing truth and god by way of the Islamic lens is a revolutionary and quite needed thing to do in this country in these times. she is calling for understanding of Truth and a bridging of gaps. nothing does that so well as the universal language. with the universal language displayed on this album, she has traversed the path from John Mellencamp gimmick to true Jazz Giant.



this recording is for the jazzbo snobs onto the latest and freshest and for the pop music fan whose only jazz cd is Kind of Blue. this is for you, if you have ears, a heart, a head, and soul. if you have yearned for more, this record yearns for you. Blessed be The Muse and her most diligent prophets.



Rare and Universal, like the woman herself."

...and now Grammy Nominated...(again)

Derek | Richmond, VA USA | 01/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Meshell's "Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel" album has been nominated for a Grammy in the Contemporary Jazz category...



it deserves it.



I won't give a extremely detailed review here since many before have already spoken about the beauty of this record...suffice to say i agree with most of em.



Its a gem...if you're open to it, its a straight up gem...



mostly instrumental jazz with some stellar musicians, along with a handful of wonderful vocal tracks with some equally stellar vocalists.



Where i will respectfully disagree with few reviewers is that this didn't initially sound to them like a "Meshell" record. To me, from day one, it ALWAYS sounded like Meshell record even without her trademark vocals. Of course, since the first time of hearing Meshells music back in 1993 i've always been attracted to Meshell the 'Musician/Composer' first, Meshell the 'Vocalist' second...and i actually listen to ALL of her records - including the vocal albums- with that 'musician/composer' bias in place (i tend to focus first on the bass melodies & the musical instrument interactions & compositions and then on the vocals)...



So i guess thats why, for me Dance of The Infidel IS a VERY 'Meshell' record..in spite of the omission of her wonderful voice.



And don't get me wrong now...i LOVE her vocals. In fact her voice, vocal phrasing, tone & style is one of the most expressive there is out there in my opinion. (She and Peter Gabriel both have an ability to emmit emotion in very unique, powerful and pure way). And I do hope she doesn't abandon her voice ALTOGETHER on future recordings. My hope is that future recordings blend the best of both of her worlds...some instrumental Meshell jams AND some vocal Meshell jams. So yeah, i LOVE her voice without a doubt... I just think that these compositions on this latest record stand very strongly on their own as instrumental and expressive pieces. (and now Grammy nominated pieces at this point. :) good luck Meshell)



so, pick this up if you're open to experiencing a variety of haunting & powerful compositions performed by some great musicians and vocalists who were really 'tuning in' to each other while the tape was running. Put it on on a rainy 'stay-in' Sunday morning or a dim-lit Friday night ...and turn the volume up and let it take you for a ride.



if you're looking for more info on Meshell you may want to check out the great fan-run website



http://www.freemyheart.com



it has everything you need to know about her recordings, influences, performances, reviews, interviews etc...



enjoy the music..."