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BET sat down with the uber talented Meshell Ndegeocello recently for her quick thoughts on music icons she's worked with and met. Meshell quietly, humbly, and honestly answers her brief takes on Chaka Khan, John Singleton, Queen Latifah, Prince, and Madonna.
Purchase Pour une âme souveraine - A Dedication to Nina Simone on iTunes | Amazon
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Happy International Jazz Day, friends! The holiday started off with a launch concert at UNESCO HQ in Paris on April 27 (view above) and a sunrise concert today from Congo Square in New Orleans. We are beyond enthused to share that the conclusion of these worldwide events will be held in New York City!
The epic sunset concert will be tonight, April 30, at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in NYC with George Duke serving as Musical Director. The co-hosts of the event will include Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Quincy Jones. The event will be streamed live.
Confirmed are legends upon legends, many with whom we've worked with closely: Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Terence Blanchard, Richard Bona, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Candido, Ron Carter, Vinnie Colaiuta, Robert Cray, Eli Degibri, Jack DeJohnette, Sheila E., Jimmy Heath, Hiromi, Zakir Hussain, Chaka Khan, Angelique Kidjo, Lang Lang, Joe Lovano, Romero Lubambo, Shankar Mahadevan, Wynton Marsalis, Hugh Masekela, Christian McBride, Danilo Pérez, Tineke Postma, Dianne Reeves, Troy Roberts, Bobby Sanabria, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and Tarek Yamani.
Event Details
International Jazz Day Sunset Concert
Monday, April 30
7:30PM
United Nations General Assembly Hall
New York, NY
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As the submissions for our March Next Step contest come to a close tomorrow, we want to share some of our favorite submissions from February in this "honorary mentions" post. Y'all made it rough last month - here's to another great month!
Our February Next Step Contest Honorary Mentions:
DC based "soul garage" band Black Alley. In the video above, the young group rips covers of Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Nirvana in their poignant dedication to "Club 27."
Psaul, a collaboration between Swedish singer/songwriter Paul Mac Innes and producer Stray. The sound is pop sensible electro-soul with a retro vibe. Below, you can get down to the sunny "Change" and on Soundcloud catch a super funky cover of Chaka Khan and Rick James' "Slow Dancin'" featuring the dynamic Karma Stewart.
New York based singer, songwriter, and producer Cilla K. has certainly got something special. With a darling lilting character to her voice that makes you feel at home and a jazzy soul sound that's playfully offbeat, her vocal style is airy and refreshing like Amel Larrieux, her production hinges on that ever-nostalgic Esthero vibe, and her left-field play with music touches on Sonnymoon. Her most recent release, New World Lullabies, feels just like it sounds. Listen to "You Know Me Better" below and let your worries fall away.
And again, you can still submit to be considered for March!
Don't miss Backpack Jax and Kimberly Nichole after the jump!
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"Lowdown," a remake of Boz Scaggs' original, comes from the highly acclaimed Incognito album, Transatlantic R.P.M. Check out the official music video featuring the vocal stylings of Chaka Khan and Mario Biondi.
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On their new album Transatlantic RPM, Incognito remakes a heavily-sampled classic, "Lowdown," originally by Boz Scaggs. The remake is infused with the vocal soul power of Chaka Khan and Mario Biondi while preserving the hip-hop rhythms that sprouted from the original.
Boz Scaggs - original version of "Lowdown" (1976)
Whether you're a hip-hop fan, producer, or just an educated listener, you'll probably hear something familiar in this. The various layers of rhythm in the Boz Scaggs track have been sampled enough in old school hip-hop to qualify "Lowdown" as a break beat classic. Scaggs' drums are easy enough to spot, but that flipped bassline produces a bit of a challenge in discovering samples.
Leave a comment with more sample knowledge and we'll be your best friend.
Leaders of the New School - "The International Zone Coaster" (1991)
MF Doom - "Black Snake Root" (2003)
Blackstreet - "Booti Call" (1994)
Girl Talk - "Give Me A Beat" (2008)
