Meshell Ndegeocello
– Pour une âme souveraine:
A Dedication to Nina Simone
Meshell Ndegeocello returns with an album of songs dedicated to that rarest of souls Nina Simone.
To take on any song sung by Nina Simone is brave – or perhaps even foolhardy – as no other vocalist in the history of jazz or pop has ever been able to make a song more completely their own than Nina did.
Wisely, Meshell goes her own way on these 14 songs, inviting other singers to join her on some of the songs and taking on main vocals herself on about half of the tracks.
A duet with Sinead O’Connor is breathy, heavy and the occasionally ponderous moment is leavened with bright country guitar licks, the whole being surprisingly enjoyable. Other vocalists like Lizz Wright (soaring over ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine’), Toshi Reagon and Valerie June supply the more agile vocal moments. Valerie in particular steals the show with a remarkable and highly stylised rendition of’ ‘Be My Husband’.
‘Please Don’t Let Me Be Understood’ features Meshell on vocals and she uses the smokiness of her voice to stamp her own distinctive brand on this musical warhorse, while ‘Suzanne’ takes on a subtly different meaning in the tender care of Meshell.