The Omnichord Real Book

by Meshell Ndegeocello

Overview

Contrary to the concept the title might conjure, The Omnichord Real Book is not another wholly interpretive set from Meshell Ndegeocello. It's the musician's first album of primarily original material in nearly a decade, appearing nine years after Comet, Come to Me and following the all-covers Ventriloquism by five years. Also the musician's Blue Note debut as a leader, this consolidates an affiliation with the historic label that began with a supporting role on Robert Glasper's Black Radio and continued with production and playing on Jason Moran's All Rise and Marcus Strickland's Nihil Novi. The album takes its name from the Autoharp-inspired instrument manufactured in the early '80s as well as a widely published volume of lead sheets for jazz standards -- a copy of which Ndegeocello received from her father and rediscovered while going through her late parents' belongings. The Omnichord is heard on only three songs, all of which are powered in part by its amiably knocking programmed rhythms and dainty synthesized strings. More consequential is the squad of over two dozen instrumentalists and vocalists lending a plenitude of supple rhythmic and ruminative vocal interplay. It features long-standing partners such as guitarist Chris Bruce and keyboardist Jebin Bruni, and recent or new collaborators like guitarist Jeff Parker, whose spiraling guitar solos are on crucial back-to-back songs, and Josh Johnson, who adds winding and tender saxophone on twice as many numbers and produces the whole thing. Even though it was created by enough people to fill a starship, including the HawtPlates, a vocal group present throughout and granted the spotlight on a moving a cappella piece, this is as intimate as any of Ndegeocello's previous albums. It's almost as varied as any of them in sound, naturally veering from sheer folk-soul to grimace-inducing funk to charging Afrobeat. Almost every song is informed by a kind of heartache with prevailing feelings of disorientation, regret, and grief. Ndegeocello always owns it, whether she says "Pain colors everything I touch" with her chest or laments her "extraordinary pain," maybe with a nod to Songs in the Key of Life. There's respite in "Virgo," a nine-minute funk marvel that vibrates and glistens with Ndegeocello's key bass and Bruce's bassline interfacing beneath Brandee Younger's harp. (This is distinct from the like-titled song on The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams.) Then again, it's not quite rapturous, either, with Ndegeocello briefly weaving into the astral homecoming theme a sense of anticipation: "The warmth of your embraceâ?¦I long for." An alternate version of "Virgo" arranged by Oliver Lake is fruit at the bottom. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	06/16/2023
Label:	Blue Note
UPC:	0602448968944

Tracks

1. Georgia Ave
2. An Invitation
3. Call the Tune
4. Good Good
5. Omnipuss
6. Clear Water
7. ASR
8. Gatsby
9. Towers
10. Perceptions
11. Tha King
12. Virgo
13. Burn Progression
14. Onelevensixteen
15. Vuma
16. The 5th Dimension
17. Hole in the Bucket
18. Virgo 3

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Meshell Ndegeocello   Primary Artist,Bass,Vocals,Keyboards,Omnichord,Electric Harp,Keyboard Bass
Jason Moran   Primary Artist,Piano,Featured Artist
Joan as Police Woman   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Mark Guiliana   Primary Artist,Drums,Featured Artist
Ambrose Akinmusire   Primary Artist,Trumpet,Featured Artist
Brandee Younger   Primary Artist,Harp,Featured Artist
Joel Ross   Primary Artist,Vibraphone,Featured Artist
Josh Johnson   Primary Artist,Vocals,Saxophone,Featured Artist,Featured Artist
Thandiswa   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Cory Henry   Primary Artist,Piano,Featured Artist
Sanford Biggers   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Julius Rodriguez   Primary Artist,Organ,Clavinet,Clavichord,Farfisa Organ,Featured Artist
The Hawtplates   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Jade Hicks   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Hanna Benn   Primary Artist,Voices,Choir/Chorus,Featured Artist
Jeff Parker   Primary Artist,Guitar,Soloist,Featured Artist
Deantoni Parks   Primary Artist,Drums,Featured Artist
Chris Bruce   Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Wah Wah Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Jebin Bruni   Organ,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards
Jake Sherman   Bass,Vocals,Vocoder,Keyboards
Kenita Miller   Vocals
Thandiswa Mazwai   Vocals,Spoken Word
Daniel Mintseris   Keyboards
Andrya Ambro   Drums
Burniss Travis   Bass
Justin Hicks   Vocals,Keyboards
Abe Rounds   Drums,Vocals,Percussion
Marsha DeBoe   Vocals
Oliver Lake   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Hector Castillo   Producer,Additional Production,Mixing,Engineer
Chris Bruce   Composer,Producer,Programming,Additional Production
Chris Bittner   Engineer,Recording
Jebin Bruni   Composer,Producer
Deantoni Parks   Composer
Meshell Ndegeocello   Composer,Producer,Illustrations,Art Conception,Additional Production
Tony Allen   Composer
Amp Fiddler   Composer
Chris Connelly   Composer
Mark Guiliana   Arranger,Composer
Ambrose Akinmusire   Composer
Brandee Younger   Arranger
Jake Sherman   Composer,Vocal Programming
Josh Johnson   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Todd Dahlhoff   Production Coordination
Rebecca Meek   Package Design
Kenita Miller   Composer
Thandiswa Mazwai   Composer
Bob Power   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Alison Riley   Executive Producer
Daniel Mintseris   Composer
Samora Pinderhughes   Composer
Hanna Benn   Composer
Mike Bono   Composer
Andrya Ambro   Composer
Gabe Schnider   Composer
Justin Hicks   Composer,Producer,Programming,Additional Production
Joe Nino-Hernes   Mastering Engineer
Rachel Jones   A&R
Jack DeBoe   Composer
Abe Rounds   Composer,Producer,Additional Production
Marton Bisits   Composer
Colin Mohnacs   Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Marsha DeBoe   Composer
The Hawtplates   Composer
Jade Hicks   Composer
Oliver Lake   Arranger,Composer,Musical Adaptation
Traci Fuller   A&R
Jason Moran   Composer