Meshell Ndegeocello
A 10-time Grammy nominee, Ndegeocello is a composer, a producer and a virtuoso on the electric bass guitar. She is a featured artist for the MUSE musicians conference. will perform live Thursday, March 9, presented by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
A 10-time Grammy nominee, Ndegeocello is respected in the industry as a virtuoso on the electric bass guitar and as a composer and producer. Her songs have a rubbery flow rooted in ’70s funky soul and ’90s hip-hop culture. Ndegeocello’s music twists and turns through so many genres, she has defied labels throughout her more than 20-year career. From R&B, pop, and jazz to hip-hop and rap, it is hard to put a finger on just where she wants to take you.
Tickets to the 7 p.m. performance are $39. Visit AlysStephens.org or call 205-975-2787 for tickets or more information.
Some of Ndegeocello’s albums are testimony, some are confessions, and some are escapes. “Ventriloquism” is the most recent album, and musically, it has the hallmarks of all of her work: lush and investigative, subversive and sublime. She pays tribute to her diverse influences, and in these 11 covers, Ndegeocello filters “Tender Love” through a folky, Californian filter and brings Vaudevillian accents to “Sensitivity.” She recreates “Smooth Operator” and turns “Private Dancer” into a sultry waltz. The reimagining affords not just a new musical experience but also a comment on the narrow expectations of sounds and structures for Black artists and Black music, according to her bio.
Ndegeocello is a featured artist for the Alys Stephens Center’s 2023 MUSE Conference, a free musicians conference, and will engage conference attendees in a moderated panel discussion in addition to her performance. The MUSE Conference provides musicians the tools to succeed. Register or learn more at AlysStephens.org/muse.