I hope you’ve found the time to listen to some of the audio files Brian Patneaude offers on his website as I’ve mentioned in my review of Distance by the Brian Patneaude Quartet. And if you like them then don’t hestitate to purchase his album as well. In the meantime you can read the jazz-not-jazz interview with Brian.

Q: Please tell me something about yourself. Who has influenced your music and who or what inspired you to become a musician?

Brian Patneaude: I started playing the saxophone when I was in the 5th grade. Like most kids I knew, I was initially enthused about playing a musical instrument but my interest waned as time went on. Luckily my parents made me stick with it through middle school and when I got to high school I had a teacher that introduced me to the music of Michael Brecker and David Sanborn. After hearing them, I had a renewed interest in the saxophone and began to investigate this music known as jazz. Initially I was very enamored of jazz fusion artists such as Sanborn, the Brecker Brothers, Steps Ahead, Spyro Gyra, Yellowjackets, etc. It wasn’t until I got to college, where I majored in music education, that I began to listen to more straight ahead players like Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, etc. In terms of current listening and influences, I’m still very much into most of the artists I mentioned as well as other contemporary saxophonists such as Seamus Blake, Chris Potter, and Mark Turner. I’ve also been obsessed with the music of E.S.T. and artists on the ECM and Fresh Sound New Talent labels for the past few years.

Q: You don’t limit yourself to straight-ahead jazz with the BP Quartet and are part of various music groups/collaborations. Which one of your participations is the dearest to you and why don’t you try to fuse all these influences into one sound?

Brian Patneaude: In addition to my group I also perform salsa/merengue with Alex Torres y su Orquesta, big band jazz with the Empire Jazz Orchestra and participate in a genre blending collaboration with a DJ and live instrumentalists dubbed Nouveau Chill. I also freelance with various other groups whenever possible. Of all the groups I perform with I’d say my quartet is the dearest to me. Within this group I’ve tried to incorporate influences from my work with Alex Torres as well as the Nouveau Chill project. The DJ involved with the project (DJ Michael Campion) has introduced me to many counterparty electronica and trip hop artists that have influenced the way I compose and arrange for the quartet. That being said, it’s refreshing to work with a variety of musical groups and have the opportunity to perform so many different styles of music.

>>>continue

In conjunction with radio42.com and rautemusik.fm jazz-not-jazz presents two hours of simply great music every Friday 19:00-21:00 UTC+1 (you don’t have to convert it for Germany…that’s Friday 13:00-15:00 in NYC, Friday 10:00-12:00 in San Francisco and Saturday 04:00-06:00 in Sydney). The links of the audio stream can be found on radio42.com or rautemusik.fm (look for #Musik.Lounge there).

This time there’s no concept for the show just two hours of great music from records that had been reviewed on jazz-not-jazz over the years. Enjoy it!
Here’s the playlist (the title is linked to the album’s review, the artist’s name is linked to an interview [where available]):

Maiuko: My Oh My
Anthony David: Cold Turkey
Angela Johnson: On My Way
Frank McComb: When You Call My Name
Marlon Saunders: Coolin’
MamaYo ft Carleen Anderson: Born To Love
Tim Terry: Everything
Bah Samba: Morris
Beautiful Nubia: Matters Arising
Yewande: Rufus
Vanessa Freeman: Show Me
Shirley Brown: Stuck On Stupid
Shayna Steele: You Are My Soul
Fuzzband: Crossroads
Carmen Lundy: Windmills Of Your Mind
Verna Francis: What Kind Of World
Solar: Samba De Aztac
Michael Adkins: Tres Olive
Lois Deloatch: Closure
Julie Dexter: Judgement Day
Nadir: Soulmate
Myron: Heaven
Misty Oldland: Hit Record
Conya Doss: Day By Day

Just in case that some of the readers like the jazz-not-jazz site and want to surprise me with a present, I’ve now created a wishlist on amazon.de. I guess it isn’t too difficult to handle even for someone who doesn’t speak German since the amazon interface looks similar in every language. But since I’m living in Germany using amazon.de will result in lower shipping costs than using amazon.com, co.uk, fr, co.jp or whatever.
And now it’s your turn…*grin*

Simon Grey, born in Melbourne/Australia, first caught my attention in 2003 as co-writer of Where Love Shines, a song from Incognito’s Who Needs Love album. He later impressed as remixer for Mister O’s Anything And Everything (on the Poundboys’ label Look At You) or King Of Tomorrow’s Thru. Two solo releases followed (One and The Prophecy) and Simon’s third release, the Galáctica Suite, will be his first release for Papa Records.
Simon Grey describes his new track The Galáctica Suite as full calorie broken disco served in Original and 4tothefloor flavours. While the song is full calorie and certainly sweet, it isn’t so sweet or fat or cheesy that all your cerebral gyri will stick together over some syrupy disco beats.
In fact, Simon has created a driving funky fusion groove monster with The Galáctica Suite in its original mix. It’s obviously influenced by disco music but with percussion, a fine piano line, brass courtesy of the TinMen Horns, Abby Joyce on vocals (who was also featured on Simon’s Prophecy track) and some vocoder/space effects (hey, it’s called Galactica Suite…so you certainly expect something not from this world) we get more than you have on an average disco record. And if you really need some bumping house beats to dance to, then the 4tothefloor mix is your version of choice.

The Galactica Suite will be released August 8th.

Tracklisting of The Galáctica Suite: 1. Original Mix/ 2. 4Tothefloor Mix/ 3. Original Radio Edit | released 2005 by Papa Records

For more infos visit simongrey.com and paparecords.co.uk.

[If you want to discuss the Simon Grey’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

This four track EP by The Liegeman is like Shaun Escoffery’s Long Way Home a production by the Dime A Dozen team. And The Liegeman was featured on the MamaYo/Yolanda Charles album The Game as well.
I’ve mentioned it on various occasions that I’m not really into rap/hip hop. The Liegeman is first of all a rapper and so I’m certainly not the best person to review his music. But besides the three songs Fool’s Gold, Panic and Armageddon which are pure rap and songs I really have no connection to, there’s also the song Water which even appeals to someone like me with an old-fashioned taste in music. Water is more reminiscent of what Guru did with his Jazzmatazz project and I liked the first Jazzmatazz album at its time of release. While The Liegeman dominates the first part of the song, the second part turns into a soulful experience with Shaun Escoffery and Evon Antwee telling us that all good things will in come time for those who wait.

Tracklisting of Long Way Home: 1. Water/ 2. Fool’s Gold/ 3. Panic/ 4. Armageddon | released 2005 by groove4dayz.com

For more infos visit groove4dayz.com.

[If you want to discuss the The Liegeman’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

Shaun Escoffery is a good example for the state of the music scene these days and that talent and good songs are no longer a guarantee to make it. Although he has made himself a name years ago with successful 12″ releases like Space Rider or Days Like This and has even released two albums on the independent label Oyster Music, his self named debut and a remix album named Soulonica, somehow Shaun’s music lacked the exposure it would have deserved and that would’ve made him a household name. He has a great voice [for me he’s one of the voices of Brit Soul (together with Ola Onabule and Noel McKoy)] and his music has a style of its own. Maybe that’s just what makes it difficult for most people? While Shaun’s music is soul music it isn’t soul in the formatted classic or nu/neo soul kind. And at the same time major record companies just burn money on mediocre, at most semi-talented casted acts to get them into the media and charts.

The good news is that Shaun is still around and every now and then he can be heard on a record. You only have to dig a little deeper to get hold of his releses. Shaun’s new single release is a collaboration with the Dime A Dozen production team (Miles Bould, Scott Firth and Mike Westergaard), which is also a part of the Groove4Dayz team. You hopefully remember the MamaYo/Yolanda Charles album The Game that I’ve reviewed recently. On this album Shaun was also featured as vocalist and if you haven’t heard this album yet, you’ve really missed something.
Long Way Home isn’t miles away from Shaun Escoffery’s previous work. It’s a very good midtempo modern soul song that appears in the original version and a fantastic remix, that beefs the song up with a bubbling bass and a slightly faster groove. Taking the long way home and using any available detour? Yeah, definitely anytime I have such a fine song on my digital audio player to listen to.

Tracklisting of Long Way Home: 1. original/ 2. remix | released 2005 by groove4dayz.com

For more infos visit groove4dayz.com.

[If you want to discuss the Shaun Escoffery’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

Steve Butler together with Ron Haynes has produced the perfect summer album with Something For The People. The album also introduced us to singers Mauri Sevier and Joaquina Mitchell…the good news mentioned by Steve in an interview with jazz-not-jazz, is that he’s currently working as producer on Mauri’s debut release. For more information please read the whole interview now:

Q: Something for the People is your debut album. Please tell me a more about yourself. Who has influenced you musically and how did you get into making music at all?

Steve Butler: I’m the offpring of musical parents so I grew up with a deep appreciation for the art. Both my parents were lead singers but I was more attracted to being a musician and producer. So I began making a name for myself by producing other artists. I was rooted in hip hop and contemporay R&B. But idolizing producer greats such as Quincy Jones and Nile Rodgers inspired me to take more chances musically.

Q: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it yet?

Steve Butler: Well this project is a mix of old soul and feel good funk revamped.

>>>continue

Watch jazz-not-jazz for a review of Simon Grey’s The Galáctica Suite on Papa Records coming soon.

The intention of Marlon Saunders’ new album A Groove So Deep is similar to the one of N’Dambi’s second album Tunin Up & Cosignin, i.e. presenting songs from your debut album (Enter My Mind) in new raw live-like context together with new songs. Unlike most live albums the songs weren’t recorded live in a performance at a venue but live in a studio on West 27th Street in NYC in January 2005 in front of an invited crowd.
“I wanted to capture some of the special moments that happen in rehearsals,” says Marlon, “when it’s just us and the music. We get to stretch out a bit; the music can be improvisational, free, jazzy, funky - whatever we’re feeling.”
And that just perfectly describes this recording by Marlon and his band Mood Control. We get new versions of songs from Enter My Mind like Afro Blue My Mind, The Beginning Of Never, Inspiration or Keep Doin’ What You’re Doing that adds a new dimension to the songs and a kind of raw energy that you may have missed in the songs’ original versions. Marlon also re-did the wonderful Love Philosophy, that appeared on the album Circle Of The Sun by Jazzhole, the album that first introduced me to Marlon.
The perfect summer tune Coolin’ gets remarkable revamped too with Monet on flute and Moods Control’s background vocalist Tricia Angus (who also impressed on Angela Johnson’s Early Bird) with a great scatting/vocal part.
Like on Enter My Mind all songs were written or co-written by Marlon except for one cover version. On his debut album Marlon covered a Stevie Wonder tune (If It’s Magic). This time he adds his magic to Norman Whitfield’s/Rose Royce’s I Wanna Get Next To You (from the Car Wash soundtrack). There are simple cover versions and there are cover version where a musician really adopts a song and makes it his own. And that’s what Marlon did with I Wanna Get next To You.
Then there are the new songs like the earthy funk of A Groove So Deep, that borrows slightly from Diana Ross’ Love Hangover with its sweetest hangover chorus, or the terrific love poem/ballad Declaring Love.
Enter My Mind proved that Marlon Saunders can record a timeless studio album, the highly recommendable A Groove So Deep shows that he also is a great musician in an improvisational surrounding.

A Groove So Deep The Live Sessions will be availalble this summer.

Tracklisting of A Groove So Deep The Live Sessions: 1. Afro Blue My Mind/ 2. I Wanna Get Next To You/ 3. The Beginning Of Never/ 4. A Groove So Deep/ 5. Love’s Interlude/ 6. Love Philosophy/ 7. Declaring Love/ 8. Inspiration/ 9. Groove…Something’ Takin’ Over/ 10. Keep Doin’ What Ya Do/ 11. Pay It To The People (Keepers Of The Gate)/ 12. Coolin’/ 13. Groove…Even Deeper | released 2005 by Black HoneyRecords

For more infos visit marlonsaunders.com and cdbaby.com.

[If you want to discuss the Marlon Saunders’ music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

In conjunction with radio42.com and rautemusik.fm jazz-not-jazz presents two hours of simply great music every Friday 19:00-21:00 UTC+1 (you don’t have to convert it for Germany…that’s Friday 13:00-15:00 in NYC, Friday 10:00-12:00 in San Francisco and Saturday 04:00-06:00 in Sydney). The links of the audio stream can be found on radio42.com or rautemusik.fm (look for #Musik.Lounge there).

I hope you enjoyed the first and second part of The Struggle For Freedom, Jusitice and Equalitiy and are ready for the third and last part this Friday.

Again I think it’s best to let the music speak for itself so here’s just the playlist:

Billie Holiday: Strange Fruit
Nina Simone: Black Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair
Fertile Ground: Black Is
Tashan: Blackman
SOB: Black Butterfly (Organized Noize Remix)
Stevie Wonder: Saturn
Beautiful Nubia: Ma Ba Won So
Curtis Mayfield: Power To The People
Donny Hathaway: Someday We’ll All Be Free
Mass Order: Maybe One Day
Julie Dexter: Conscious
Terry Callier: Africa Now
Marlena Shaw: Woman Of The Ghetto (live)
Tyrrel Corporation: One Day (Original Club Mix)
Keith Nunnally: Freedom (Club Mix with Speech)
Obafunke: Freedom
Tribal House: Motherland (Freedom Mix)
Ce Ce Rogers: All Join Hands (12″)
Nick Holder: Freedom In ‘63
Osunlade: Power To Conquer

Brian Patneaude contacted me a few weeks ago because fellow musician Michael Adkins has told him about jazz-not-jazz (thanks Michael!).
Brian’s not only the mastermind behind his Quartet but also part of Nouveau Chill ( where he’s fusing jazz, trip hop, bossa nova and other styles together with DJ Michael Campion), the Empire Jazz Orchestra, Alex Torres Y Los Reyes Latinos, a salsa band, and he’s also responsible for the website albanyjazz.com, which helps to raise attention to jazz musicians from Albany, NY, USA.
So Brian is obviously a busy and very versatile artist releasing the straight ahead jazz songs as tenor saxophonist with George Muscatello (guitar), Ryan Lukas (bass), and Danny Whelchel (drums) under the moniker Brian Patneaude Quartet. On three songs on Distance they are joined by Dave Payette on Fender Rhodes.
Although the album is named Distance the music is the opposite. The songs offer a very welcome warmth and intimacy. The seven songs on Distance, all original compositions by Brian Patneaude by the way, take you on a journey into Brian’s world and show his growth as musician.
It’s hard to pick a favourite from the seven great songs on Distance because all of them will unveil their beauty if you listen to them closely, but there are two songs I like to draw your attention to. One of them is Alone. Brian and his musicians manage to create an atmosphere that’s adequate for the song’s title. But yet it’s not the kind of being alone where you sink into self-pity and sadness but a kind of loneliness that sounds like you’re quite comfortable with it and may have chosen this state purposely.
Red is another interesting song with Danny Whelchel’s slightly drum’n'bass inspired drum playing at the beginning and Brian’s muted saxophone solo. Fans of Courtney Pine certainly will love this track too.
All in all Distance is a highly recommendable instrumental jazz album. On Brian’s website you will also find full-length mp3 files of live versions of the songs from Distance.

Tracklisting of Distance: 1. Change/ 2. Release/ 3. Inspiration/ 4. Alone/ 5. Red/ 6. Distance/ 7. Unending | released 2005 by WEPA Records

For more infos visit cdbaby.com and brianpatneaude.com.

[If you want to discuss the Brian Patneaude’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

If you’re into timeless great jazz music, you should really get a copy of Lois Deloatch’s second and very introspective record Closure. Lois may be one of the few musicians who’s not in the music biz for fame or money “To be honest, I’ve never expected widespread recognition,” she says “I’m more interested in creating new music and working with outstanding musicians/artists.”
Just read the whole interview now:

Q: Please tell me more about yourself. Who has influenced you musically and who was responsible for you starting to sing?

Lois Deloatch: I can’t remember a time when music wasn’t important to me. I was raised in a large family (I’m one of ten children) with diverse musical tastes, so I listened to gospel, country, soul, blues, jazz, heavy metal, rock & roll, everything! My mother and father encouraged me to join the church choir when I was about 8 years old. I began doing solo parts when I was about 9 or 10. In the early 70’s, three siblings and some family friends formed a soul/rock & roll band called “The Destructions.” At that time, I was too young to perform with the group, but I hung around their rehearsal and occasionally got to see them perform.

Q: You’re also an Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the Duke University (Durham, NC) and you’re doing several workshops. Please tell me more about it. Do you have a 50/50 split with your musical career? Would you give up the job at the university and the workshops if your musical career flourishes and demands it?

Lois Deloatch: I’m a “multi-tasker” by nature, and am very comfortable having dual careers. I’ve been incredibly fortune to work with people who appreciate my passion for music and allow me flexibility when necessary. I’ve been employed at Duke for fifteen years, so I have lots of leave time. I take time off work to travel for performances, workshops, rehearsals, etc.
Right now, I have a good balance between my music and my job at Duke. I’m most interested in creating new music, so I spend a lot of time writing/composing. I’m a homebody and a newlywed, so I haven’t pursued long tours; however, I’d love to do some international performances.

>>>continue

Thanks to Jon Freer (of mosoul.co.uk) you can now read the first ever event review on jazz-not-jazz.

Eyes Down Presents Moodymann Live, 17th June 2005, at the Mint Lounge, Oldham St, Manchester.

To call this event ‘Moodymann Live’ was a little misleading, because despite the fact that KDJ acted as compere and took to the stage to perform a few delightful jazzual numbers, and a medley of several clubbier efforts from behind a sheet, the decidedly un-grumpy one took a backseat. Instead, this remarkable night saw the friendly Kenny Dixon Junior let his Mahogani protégés take the limelight. Obsessives of the eccentric Kenneth’s earlier material, released on KDJ, will have been disappointed with the star’s unwillingness to bless the crowd with more from his illustrious back catalogue, but this truly individual evening will have impressed the musically open-minded.

Eyes Down resident Jon K kicked off the evening’s proceedings, dropping low slung Hipped Hopped grooves, as the dark, rectangular shaped and elegantly decorated Mint Lounge slowly filled up. The anticipation of musically clued up crowd was palpable as Kelvin Brown joined his co-host behind the decks to play records that would usually have got hips shaking. However, on this occasion, most people preferred to stand focussing on the slightly raised stage, waiting for the impending extravaganza. Moody’s percussion ace Andrés also appeared behind the decks before showtime, dropping soul-invigorated House, including his own adoring “You’re Still The One”.

The multifaceted live presentation turned out to be a mixture of vividly captivating compositions and attention diminishing relaxed grooves, which made for a succession of intense musical highs and lows. Audience participation came in the form of well received “Manchester…Detroit” chants, and attempts to get the crowd to sing lines back to the vocalists, which fell on deaf ears. Kenny’s initial stage get-up consisted of a wig and a stuffed jumper, as he introduced his musical family in his usual zany manner. Various performers from the Mahogani camp took to the stage throughout the evening, to provide musical accompaniment to each vocalist under the spotlight.

First up was soulful crooner Piranhahead, who contrary to belief, doesn’t really have the appearance of a vicious fish. He sat at his keyboard towards the rear of the stage, from where he performed tracks like the idealistic “Dreams”. He was followed by Nikki-O, a striking artist adorned in gold jewellery and with a slightly Erykah Badu-type buttery voice, whose strongest number came in the form of a call to arms entitled “Revolution”. Taking centre stage decked in stylish shades, bassist Paul Randolph looked ever bit as cool as the Fiddling ghetto soul funkateer he often supports on tour. The highlight of Randolph’s set was the gorgeous falsettoed “About Last Night”.

A silhouette of Kenny Dixon Junior then appeared at the back of the stage hunched over a pair of decks, evoking memories of his last appearance in this city. He drove through a medley of slamming KDJ efforts, including the apocalyptic “J.A.N.”, adding voiceovers at certain intervals. Moments later, Kenny finally took centre stage to deliver tracks from his jazz leaning “Black Mahogani II” project. In star rimmed glasses and a waistcoat, the choice moment here came when he dueted with Nikki-O on the apologetic “Rectify”. The final twist in the tale came when Roberta Sweed took to the stage. The elder stateswoman of the Mahogani camp’s mindblowing voice brought the crowd still present to their knees, as she performed tracks with help from only a piano and Andrés on percussion. It was perhaps a little late for these jazzed out crooning efforts judging by the calls of ‘get on with it’ from listeners, however the finale was certainly worth the wait, with the whole Detroit entourage joining Roberta on stage to perform the hypnotising “Runaway”. A spine-tingling composition on record, this song ended the night’s singular live spectacle in a fine fashion.

A radiant Kelvin Brown shared deck duties for the final three quarters of an hour with a patient Mr. Scruff and a relaxed Andrés. Music lovers who stuck around were rewarded with sonic delights such as Model 500’s startling “No UFO’s”, Mos Def’s delightful “Umi Says” and a heap of electroid body shakers and technoid thumpers. The turntable loving threesome provided the crowd with a chance to boogie that they’d not been afforded during the majority of the live performance, and brought the evening’s proceedings to a close splendidly.

Something For The People, Steve Butler’s debut album, has the same intention like Stewart McKenzie’s Chicago Soul Session album and that is showing us what great music can come out of the Windy City aka Chicago.
Steve Butler teamed up with veteran trumpet player Ron Haynes to record a very impressive debut record. Although this album is mainly an instrumental album with a few vocal snippets on every other track it just oozes soul and brings back memories of soul music’s golden days. Echoes of Earth, Wind & Fire, Tom Brown or Curtis Mayfield can be heard throughout the album. Even though this album has a retro feeling it still sounds very much up-to-date.
With Change and Giving My All To You there are also two vocal cuts. And what soulful gems they are. Change features Mauri Sevier singing about a change that’s gonna come (remember Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come?) over warm keys enriched with bass (Will Howard) and congas (Eric Yoder) and of course Ron Haynes on trumpet. Giving My All To You features Joaquina Mitchell on a lush, relaxed midtempo groove. Both songs are a very good reason to get this album but you get much more good music. There’s the midtempo funker Windy City with a repetitive Windy City vocal sample by Mauri Sevier and a tight and crisp brass section [besides Ron Haynes there are also Johnny Showtime (trombone), Skinny Williams (alto and tenor sax), Johnny Cotton (trombone), and Milton Ware (alto and tenor sax)]. And it’s that brass section that breathes life into the funky album’s title track Something For The People or into the groovy Shakedown.
All in all a great debut album that comes just in time to provide us with a tasty soundtrack for this summer with its funky and soulful vibe.

Tracklisting of Something For The People: 1. Windy City/ 2. Something for the People/ 3. Change/ 4. Lets Go to Work/ 5. Giving My All to You/ 6. Shakedown/ 7. Tonight’s the Night/ 8. Bronzeville/ 9. Windy City (extended mix)/ 10. Shakedown (extended mix) | released 2005 by Pull ‘Em Up Records

For more infos visit cdbaby.com, pullemup.com and ronhaynes.com.

[If you want to discuss the Steve Butler’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

Our favourite funk girl, Val Watson, impressed us with her first two solo albums Urbal and Live At The Funk Lounge after she had enjoyed her first success with Club Nouveau back in the 80s.If you wanna know what she did all these years and why it took her so long to release a solo album you should read the jazz-not-jazz interview with Val.

Q: 1. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from you before the release of your Urbal album. And that was on the Club Nouveau album from 1995 Everything Is Black. Please tell me what have you done in the meantime.

Val Watson: Well, pretty much I’ve been having babies - my first son was born April 1996 - and recording Urbal. Gerald and I finally finished mixing Urbal late in the summer of 1999. It had to be then because when we were doing the photo shoot for the artwork, I was pregnant with my third child. She was born in February 2000. In June of that year I toured with United We Funk (band consisting of S.O.S. Band, Gap Band, Barkays, Dazz Band, and ConFunkShun. That was a blast! It was also intimidating because Charlie Wilson (Gap Band) does not play. He expects perfection on stage. I toured with them off and on for about three years. Club Nouveau also did some shows with them after Gap left. Speaking of the Club; I’ve been doing shows with them also. During the years since 1995, I’ve also had the honor of working with some of the best musicians the industry has to offer. I’ve toured with the West Coast All-Stars and performed with musicians such as Tom Scott, Eric Merianthal and a host of others. I’ve had the opportunity to perform the Urbal material and hone my skills as a solo artist. Completely different bag. I had been so used to performing with Club Nouveau and as a background singer. I’m still getting comfortable with being at the front of the stage on my own. Not so much the singing; it’s the talking part that gets me. I’m not the one for idle chatter. I like to get to the point and be done with it. For me, the point is the song. Anyway, in 2003 I gave birth to my fourth child (third son). He is the joy I never expected. Currently, I am prepping my next album; writing songs, choosing tracks, brainstorming concepts. In betwixt all that I’m caring for my children and contemplating going back to school to finish my degree in Mathematical/Computational Sciences. Fun stuff! I’m a little nervous, but excited at the same time!!!

Q: What does Urbal mean and why did you create that word?

Val Watson: Urbal is “urban alternative”. We created it because we felt that the kind of music we’re doing is a viable and relevant alternative to the urban music that is currently being pushed onto the consumer.

>>>continue

I’m sure you all remember the review of Monique DeBose’s debut album Choose The Experience Vol I from last month. Well, finally Monique had found the time to answer a few questions about her music and herself.

Q: Please tell me more about yourself. Who has influenced you musically and who was responsible for you starting to sing?

Monique DeBose: I am someone in search of myself. In search of my life’s purpose and in search of connection with people.
Musical influences: I love Ella Fitzgerald. She moves me. I remember being in high school and a friend got me my first Ella Fitzgerald CD- it was her and Andre Previn (a more recent album) and I literally sat at my parents piano next to the CD player and listened to the album, just one song of the album, for at least 3 hours. I couldn’t get it. But once I did, I was in love. She was one of my first teachers. But I use to sing as a kid, I loved performing (I was really shy, but I still had a great love for it) I often thought of my life as a musical (I still do today). But growing up, music was a part of my life, if I was playing an instrument, listening to my big sisters radio stations with her or my dad’s albums while he sat on the porch on the weekends and read the paper. I loved music. While I was in college, I met a group of students who started a vocal a capella group. I joined them, I think I had finally gotten over my fears at that point! I use to go to every saturday morning to La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, CA, and studied under Joey Blake (he had studied under Bobby Mcferrin in voicestra). That’s where I really started singing out loud. We’d be there for like 3-4 hours, people doing different lines, voices and then we would take turns going into the center of the circle and improvise over the bed of voices we had created. I loved that.

Q: How much of yourself can be found in the lyrics to songs like Recognize, Ready For Love or Where Do I Stand?

Monique DeBose: I am in all the lyrics. They are my stories.
Recognize I think I wrote for myself and my mother.
Where do I stand- I had recently gotten out of a 2 year relationship, I thought this guy would be my husband, and I was still holding on. We’d broken up and he had gone with a friend to Paris for a little vacation, he told me he would call me when he got back- he didn’t. I found out from a friend that he was back from his trip and I couldn’t understand why he didn’t do what he said he would do. It was a lonely time for me. I didn’t know how to move, but knew I needed to. So that song is about that process.
And Ready For Love - it’s funny, I wrote that song without knowing that I would experience those lyrics one day. I identified somewhat to my lyrics but really did once I got into this current relationship I am in.

>>>continue