The Boston-based, ’60s-style, groove-jazz trio Soulive dipped into contemporary-music and featured MCs Black Thought (from the Roots) and Talib Kweli on its 2002 CD, Next (Blue Note).
But no less than five months after dropping its first live album, Soulive (Blue Note), the trio is jumping into hip-hop once again. With the band’s amicable parting from Blue Note, the eclectic Turn It Out Remixed will be released via Velour, and the CD sees the band taking a more progressive approach to its compositions. The album features remixed and reworked songs from throughout the group’s career, and Soulive enlists some of its closest friends to lend a hand, including up-and-coming DJ Spinna and his conscious MC companion J-Live, the experimental hip-hop head DJ Krush and rap production gurus the Beatnuts.
Songs featured on the album include remixes of “Turn It Out,” “Steppin,” “Cash’s Dream,” “Doin’ Something,” “Azucar” and “Nealization.” The album will also include vocal performances and instrumental contributions from everyone’s favorite bald bassist, Me’Shell NdegéOcello.
NdegéOcello is a busy woman herself, preparing to release Comfort Woman (Maverick) on October 14, and she is preparing an album for Verve, Papillon: Dance of the Infidels, scheduled to drop early next year. Papillon is reportedly a jazz-influenced record and it features the likes of vocalist Cassandra Wilson, alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett and Neal Evans of, you guessed it, Soulive. How convenient.
Now if all that weren’t enough for the Soulive junkie in us all, the band is set to embark on a co-headlining tour with NdegéOcello, which will carry them through the entire month of October. Here are the dates so you can go.
Soulive Soul/Festival:
Saturday 08/30/03 • Ithaca, NY • Cornell University
Friday 09/19/03 • Mondayterey, CA • Mondayterey Jazz Festival
Sunday 09/21/03 • Austin, TX • Austin City Limits
Soulive and Me’Shell Ndegéocello:
Thursday 10/09/03 • San Diego, CA • 4th & B
Friday 10/10/03 • West Hollywood, CA • House Of Blues
Saturday 10/11/03 • Anaheim, CA • House Of Blues
Sunday 10/12/03 • San Francisco, CA • The Fillmore
Monday 10/13/03 • San Francisco, CA • The Fillmore
Wednesday 10/15/03 • Denver, CO • Cervantes Ballroom
Thursday 10/16/03 • Minneapolis, MN • Quest Club
Friday 10/17/03 • Chicago, IL • House Of Blues
Saturday 10/18/03 • Chicago, IL • House Of Blues
Sunday 10/19/03 • Detroit, MI • Majestic Theatre
Tuesday 10/21/03 • Winooski, VT • Higher Ground
Wednesday 10/22/03 • Boston, MA • Avalon
Friday 10/23/03 • Hampton Beach, NY • Casino Balroom
Thursday 10/24/03 • New York, NY • B.B. King’s
Thursday 10/25/03 • New York, NY • B.B. King’s
Sunday 10/26/03 • Washington, DC • 9:30 Club
Saturday 10/27/03 • Philadelphia, PA • Theatre Of Living Arts
Wednesday 10/29/03 • Asheville, NC • Orange Peel
Thursday 10/30/03 • Atlanta, GA • Variety Playhouse
Friday 10/31/03 • New Orleans, LA • House Of Blues
Saturday 11/01/03 • Austin, TX • La Zona Rosa
To learn more about Soulive and Me’Shell NdegéOcello check out their Web sites:
www.soulive.com
www.okayplayer.com/meshell
