August 7,
2015 release spotlights vocalists Oleta Adams, Natalie Cole, Paula Cole, Lalah
Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Ledisi, Chanté Moore, Valerie Simpson, Nancy Wilson,
Jaguar Wright and Lizz Wright
After
receiving worldwide praise and a GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her 2011
disc, The Mosaic Project, drummer extraordinaire Terri Lyne Carrington releases
its hotly anticipated follow-up, The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL, on August
7, 2015 via Concord Records. (International release dates may vary)
Like its
predecessor, The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL presents Carrington leading a
rotating cast of superb female instrumentalists and vocalists that includes
Oleta Adams, Natalie Cole, Paula Cole, Lalah Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Chanté
Moore, Valerie Simpson, Nancy Wilson, Jaguar Wright and Lizz Wright, as well as
saxophonist Tia Fuller, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen; bassists Meshell Ndegoecello and
Linda Oh; and keyboardists Geri Allen, Patrice Rushen and Rachel Z.
On The
Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL, Carrington juxtaposes her salute to female
artists by paying homage to various male artists who have either influenced her
professionally and/or informed her musicality, such as Nick Ashford, George
Duke, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross and Bill Withers.
“Whenever I do something that celebrates women, I never want it to feel like
it’s something that excludes men,” she explains. “On this record, I consciously
wanted to celebrate the various relationships women have with men either
through original songs of mine or cover songs by male composers and song
writers.” The male presence and perspective on The Mosaic Project: LOVE and
SOUL is even more realized by Billy Dee Williams, who contributes insightful
spoken-word interludes through the disc.
Carrington’s
musicianship has already catapulted her into the upper echelon of jazz artists
of her generation. But on The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL, her gifts as a
producer, songwriter, and arranger emerge more to the fore with a collection of
tunes that places a greater emphasis on her love for R&B. “When I grew up I wanted to be Diana Ross,”
she says as she explains her wide musical influences that range from classic
music and straight-ahead jazz to R&B and hip-hop. “I loved all forms of
Black music and eventually started listening from a production standpoint,
finding Missy Elliot, Q-Tip and Questlove to be some of my favorites.”
While she never
sacrifices the intricacies of jazz, Carrington’s knack for crafting R&B
recalls that of the late keyboardist and composer George Duke because the
results are at once adventurous and accessible.
Carrington also expands her talents as an instrumentalist by playing
guitar, bass and keyboards on several tunes.
“Duke
Ellington said ‘jazz means freedom of expression’ and he also said ‘there’s
nothing demeaning about playing music for dancing,’” Carrington explains. “I’m
in agreement and this album is my spin on jazz meets soul, with danceable
grooves as well as a jazz aesthetic that comes not only from the arrangements,
but also from the singer’s sophistication and ability to go between genres.”
Perhaps
unsurprisingly, her strategies for recruiting singers reminisce those employed
by Ellington, who wrote arrangements and charts specifically for each
individual in his orchestra. “When I choose which singers to ask, it’s always
because I hear their voice in my head while writing an arrangement,” she
explains. “I then demo the song, singing all the vocals myself in the style of
the person I’m hearing. I feel this has been the key to my success in garnering
such amazing talent.”
The Mosaic
Project: LOVE and SOUL started out as a collection of love songs. But over the
course of its development, Carrington noticed influences of music from the
black American church seeping inside the song’s harmonic and melodic movement –
hence the disc’s subtitle. “I felt that I didn’t really do all the things I
wanted to on the first Mosaic Project and that I needed to dig deeper. Right
now is a soft period in my life where I’m allowing myself to express
vulnerability - a contemplative period where I recognize more the importance of
soul work and spiritual connection. For me, that’s all wrapped up in this
project of love songs,” she says.
After an
ethereal intro, featuring Williams reciting insightful kernels of wisdom that
were passed on to Carrington from legendary saxophonist and composer Wayne
Shorter, The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL launches into the soul-electronica
makeover of Ellington’s 1943 classic, “Come Sunday,” which features Natalie
Cole rendering the hopeful lyrics over Carrington’s skittering drum patterns.
“Come Sunday” makes for an ingenious introduction to The Mosaic Project: LOVE
and SOUL because Carrington’s previous disc was the GRAMMY award-winning, Money
Jungle: Provocative in Blue (Concord), on which she puts a 21st century modern
sheen on Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach’s classic 1963 LP, Money Jungle.
Soon after,
The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL presents another timeless jazz standard –
Sinatra’s 1951 ballad, “I’m a Fool to Want You” – this time underscored with a
mid-tempo groove and a modern soul-jazz landscape on which Chaka Khan powers
her distinctive and soulful phrasing.
The disc
then delves into modern R&B repertoire with the splendid cover of Vandross’
1988 ballad, “For You to Love,” featuring Oleta Adams, and Carrington’s
original, “So Good (Amazing),” a gospel-inflected neo-soul tune, on which
R&B songstress Jaguar Wright’s demonstrates her distinctive soprano vocal
prowess.
Carrington
invites Valerie Simpson, of the legendary husband-and-wife duo Ashford &
Simpson, to sing on a remake of their 1976 song, “Somebody Told a Lie.” Carrington’s
arrangement underscores the spirituality brimming through the sensual themes,
while also being suspenseful, particularly when it moves into the unexpected
Afro-Latin breakdown, featuring pianist Geri Allen, percussionist Nêgah Santos
and flutist Elena Pinderhughes.
Legendary
song stylist Nancy Wilson enlivens the amorous “Imagine This,” an ambitious
original bursting with sophisticated harmonies and poetic lyrics addressing the
art of realizing an idealistic romance. Carrington is especially proud of this
composition because she feels she stretched herself as a lyricist to contribute
one of her best efforts yet.
A recording
of a humorous voice message from the late George Duke – one of Carrington’s
close friends and musical collaborators – introduces the soulful mid-tempo
original “Best of the Best,” on which Chanté Moore – who also worked with Duke
– sings touching lyrics reflecting on his vivacious personality and influential
musical legacy.
Carrington
revamps “This Too Will Pass,” an original she wrote 15 yeas ago with long-time
friend Lalah Hathaway in mind; Hathaway’s caressing alto amplifies the song’s
bittersweet yet self-empowering lyrics. Carrington sings lead on the capricious
original “Can’t Resist,” whose serrated, Latin-tinged groove and catchy melody
vocals demand repeated high-rotation airplay on jazz, urban and Latin radio
formats.
Paula Cole’s
vocals enthrall on “You Can’t Smile It Away,” a poignant reading of Bill
Withers’ 1985 ballad; Carrington’s interpretation gains even more emotional
weight thanks to Regina Carter’s melodic violin solo, which soars alongside
Cole’s majestic wails. The romantic
allure continues with longing original, “Get To Know You,” which features
soul-jazz vocalist Ledisi singing amidst some of the disc’s most opulent horn
arrangements.
The U.S.
edition of The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL concludes with Carrington’s
breathtaking rendition of Patrice Rushen’s 1978 ballad, “When I Found You” with
which she dedicates to her son. The new version, re-arranged in 5/4 with added
new hooks, features Rushen sharing keyboard duties with Rachel Z, while Lizz
Wright brings darker, more maternal hues to the melody by way of her earthy
alto. Sophisticated horn arrangements animate the makeover as well as trumpeter
Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Grace Kelly’s inventive solos. As the song
coalesces and crests, Carrington delivers a feisty yet lucid improvisation
toward the end.
When asked
to reflect upon her artistic trajectory thus far, Carrington says, “If we’re
lucky, we can live our lives like a puzzle and just try to keep putting all the
pieces together,” which explains both her catholic taste in music and her
interests as a music producer and educator. In addition to being a leader in
her own right and a much-in-demand drummer and record producer, she’s also the
artistic director for Boston’s annual Beantown Jazz Festival and a professor at
the Berklee College of Music. “Most of us have many interests but not always
able find an outlet to address them,” she says. “I’ve been fortunate to be able
to fulfill many of mine under the wide umbrella of the music industry. My
interests can be scattered, but I approach it all with a seeking spirit and
determination to pursue my goals in a way that I can possibly fulfill most of
them.”
The Mosaic Project:
LOVE and SOUL is undeniably another triumphant artistic fulfillment.
