Peace-
Sorry for the lack of information; we have been invlved in a lot of intense negotiations of late. Working through the future, plus Meshell has been finishing up the writing for her next album. She is doing some bass work for Paul Simon and Brian Eno as well.

In this post, exclusive to Free My Heart, I am happy to announce the February 14, 2005 European release date for "Dance of the Infidel" by The Spirit Music Jamia (formerly Papillon and the Spirit Music Sextet) on Universal France. I will announce the U.S. release as well as some other exciting news shortly.

Peace
Kofi

fabulous.. i want to hear the recorded version of these songs. how long ago were they recorded? early in the developing process or later? oh wait! is this the record with all the guests on it? like cassandra wilson etc? or is it an instrumental album?

tasha, full info on guests, etc is in the discography under albums & next...

excellent! thanks for the update kt.
if the release were just a month sooner i could've gotten it on my way back from london!

anyway, you know i'm waiting to hear about a u.s. tour right? whenever you get around to it of course..

regards,
deshi

IN deed, what a happy valentine's day it's gona be !!!
I'm also happy to hear about her working with Paul Simon : He is like a musical father to me since I learned guitar and singing while listening to his records when I was a kid !

I can't wait to hear this stuff !

I forgot a question :
Is the spirit music septet (oh, sorry, I meant, The Spirit Music Jamia) gona do some more shows in France in february or after that, to let people know the record is available help it to be sold as well as it deserves (After having seen 3 of her shows with tse SMS, I trust me'shell for that !) ?

ahhh good news indeed, that'll be a great way to kick off the year...thanks for the update!

Simon and Eno hunh? Cool! Eno usually does some really interesting daring stuff that i always seem to get into...thick stuff you know...that'll be cool to hear Meshell in all of that. And Simon always writes some infectious melodies...so this oughtta be fun...

again thanks for the update!

Cool! Been waiting to hear something on this for awhile. I can now relax and go on to something else. Looking forward to the new release.

thanks for the update. so upset i missed the france dates this summer. hope meshell makes it out to berlin next year...

Peace-
Regarding touring... SMJ will perform for at least 1 night in Paris on 2/18 to celebate the release... we are working on adding a second date on the 19th. We hope to return to Europe, including possibly a date in Germany, at the end of March for about 2 weeks. Then in April we are working on some U.S. dates (possibly to include Seattle :-)

As soon as I have all the dates confirmed I will let matthew know. Also, an SMJ website will go up soon (though it won't be as fresh as what honestnotes had planned).

peace
kofi

kt,


thank you for the news.

i will be spending some time in the phoenix area. let me know if you have any interest in bringing the sextet or any version of meshells art thru the az/phoenix/sedona area, i believe i may be able to help.

peace.

mario

Fabulous news!

Music to my ears!

thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!

génial!!! will be looking out for the europe dates in the spring.

quote:

---

Originally posted by kt:
..in April we are working on some U.S. dates (possibly to include Seattle)..

---

and chicago too, right kt?
there are some very hot jazz clubs in chicago.. like the green mill, and the hothouse. let me know if i can help in any way.
thanks!
deshi

GREAT NEWS !
It seems that Valentine's Day is gona last for almost a week in 2005.

Last news from France :
It seems, that the concert schedulled on 18th of february will take place in Creteil (Paris's subburb) for the town's winter festival, called "Sons d'hiver". Here's where I found the information
http://www.sonsdhiver.org/index1.html

direct acces to the info :
http://www.sonsdhiver.org/page.html?mp=concert&sn=1&ssn=1&prog_id=15

Me'shell is not gona come alone : They annouce 2 very special guests with the SM Jamia : Steve Coleman on sax and David Fiuczinski on guitar !

God, that's too much !!! Once again, I can't wait for this !!!

<They annouce 2 very special guests with the SM Jamia : Steve Coleman on sax and David Fiuczinski on guitar !>

Yes!!!...adding a guitar into the mix of this great stuff?? Awww hell yeah...

Whew!...i can almost hear it now...(or WISH i could anyway

To whomever gets to go to this...please do report back your experiences if you are able to attend...sounds like one for the records...

thanks for the update!

heh heh ... re today's link... good looking out Matt!

... gonna get my wife to translate for me so i can see how much it comes to in american dollar bills ...

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

happy new year

someone on okp posted info about an april concert date in a'dam

09 apr 05
http://www.paradiso.nl/

thank you

Hello everybody !
Here's a little for gift those like me who can't wait any longer for the dance of the infidel.


And for those who can read french, here's how the cd is announced :
"Un peu surpris, puis gagné par la puissance de la musique qui lui était proposée, le public venu assisté l'été 2004, aux premiers concerts en Europe de Meshell Ndegeocello avec son nouveau groupe, le Spirit Music Jamia (le mot désigne une école, un lieu d'enseignement), va retrouver avec "Dance Of The Infidel", le son et l'esprit des thèmes organiques et contagieux proposés alors en avant-première. "J'ai toujours rêvé de faire partie d'un groupe, d'être au milieu des musiciens, comme dans toutes ces grandes formations que j'admirais étant gosse. En solo, je suis souvent devant, c'est une place que je n'ai pas vraiment recherchée." Entre humilité et timidité, Meshell Ndegeocello a toujours répété que sa position de leader ne l'intéressait pas plus que cela. Indépendante, attachée à défendre ses idées, la chanteuse-bassiste a donc mis ses intentions en pratique. Sur scène, ses inconditionnels ont eu la surprise de la voir et de l'entendre dans un rôle plus discret mais non moins prépondérant, à la basse, aiguillant les recherches collectives ou les figures libres des solistes à ses côtés. Rythmiques afro-beat, funk, improvisations, fusion : libérée du format-chanson de ses précédentes aventures, Meshell et son Spirit Music Jamia donnent libre cours à ses envies d'exploration musicale et le résultat, creusé et intense, est une nouvelle fois à la hauteur de ses exigences, celles qui traversent son travail depuis ses débuts. Entourée de Don Byron, Oliver Lake, Kenny Garrett, Michael Cain, Brandon Ross, Gregoire Maret, Mino Cinelu, Jack DeJohnette, Wallace Roney, Gene Lake, Roy Hargrove,... un casting de premier plan, Meshell revient avec un album intense et mature qui lui ressemble autant que les précédents. "Munin" et ses rythmiques hypnotiques ouvre l'album. Les voix, intime de Cassandra Wilson, aérienne de Sabina Scuba (des Brazilian Girls), plus soul de Lalah Hathaway (fille de l'immense Donny Hathaway), évoquent la douceur, le recueillement ou la passion. Le morceau-titre, temps fort de cette session, s'ouvre sur un tempo lancinant avant de décoller sur un magnifique solo de Kenny Garrett. Dans ces ambiances mêlées, gracile ("Aquarium"), apaisée ("Papillon"), ces sentiments contrastés, la basse de Meshell Ndegeocello donne le pouls, discrètement à la première écoute, de manière plus centrale lorsqu'on y prête attention. Sauf en une occasion, un chorus limpide sur "Papillon", elle fixe le destin du groupe comme une mère nourricière. Un album puissant, amer, doux, traduction d'une nouvelle aventure plus collective, dont on imagine les prolongements scéniques avec envie, s'inscrit dans la continuité d'un parcours jamais décevant, marquée par un constant et intangible désir de défendre sa liberté de jouer, de s'émouvoir, avec beaucoup de sincérité. "

very exciting indeed. am curious to know if this will be any different then the version of the record I've heard about a year ago .... maybe the french text has some clues ?!?

honestnotes.

you're welcome for the a'dam date... still looking for berlin.

(rough!!) translation of the french announcement:

Summer 2004. The public who came out to see Meshell Ndegeocello’s first European concerts with her new group, Spirit Music Jamia (the word denotes a school, a place of teaching), will rediscover with “Dance of the Infidel” the sound and spirit of the organic, contagious themes offered up in the preview. “I always dreamed of being part of a group, being among musicians, like in all these large formations that I admired when I was a kid. Performing solo, I’m always in front. It’s a place I was never really looking for.” Between modesty and shyness, Meshell Ndegeocello has always repeated that her leadership position doesn’t interest her all that much. Independent, attached to defending her ideas, the singer-bassist has put her intentions into practice. Her unconditional fans were surprised to see and hear her on stage in a more discreet, yet no less dominant, role, on bass, directing the collective effort or the freestyles of the soloists by her side. Rhythmic afro-beat, funk, improvisations, fusion: liberated from the song-format of previous adventures, Meshell and Spirit Music Jamia give full range to her desires for musical exploration. The result, deep and intense, meets her high level of standards once again, the same standards which travel through her work from the beginning. Supported by de Don Byron, Oliver Lake, Kenny Garrett, Michael Cain, Brandon Ross, Gregoire Maret, Mino Cinelu, Jack DeJohnette, Wallace Roney, Gene Lake, Roy Hargrove,... a first-class crew, Meshell comes back with a mature, intense album which mirrors her as much as the previous ones. “Munin” opens the album with hypnotic rhythms. Voices, the intimate Cassandra Wilson, the airy Sabina Scuba (from Brazilian Girls), the soul-filled Lalah Hathaway (daughter of the great Donny Hathaway), evoke sweetness, meditation or passion. As the strong point of this session, the title piece opens on a throbbing tempo before taking off on a magnificent solo by Kenny Garrett. Within these mixed moods, delicate ("Aquarium"), soothing ("Papillon"),the contrasted feelings, the bass of Meshell Ndegeocello provides the pulse, discreetly on a first listen, yet in a more direct manner when one pays attention. Except on one occasion, a distinct chorus on “Papillon,” she anchors the group’s destiny like a mother-figure. A powerful, bitter, soft album; a translation of a new, collective adventure where one imagines the continuation with envy. The album is inscribed within the continuity of a never-disappointing path, distinguished by a constant, intangible desire to defend one’s freedom to play and to touch someone with much sincerity.

Awww yeah...thanks yall...both for the initial post and the translation! (heheh now, if i compare the words, i can learn me some french

I like the release description, gives a real nice perspective & context and makes one wanna hear this stuff...counting the days!

and i really dig the album cover design too...nice job. it would make a nice framed poster or something...


thanks again for the info!