Women’s Jazz Festival: Meshell Ndegeocello

Canonized, marginalized or just scrutinized, MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO has given up trying to explain herself. After 20 years in an industry that has called her everything from avant garde to a dying breed, what unquestionably remains is the fearsome bassist, prolific songwriter, and the creativity and curiosity of an authentic musical force. With that, she has earned critical acclaim, the unfailing respect of
fellow players, songwriters and composers, and the dedication of her diverse, unclassifiable fans.

A bass player above all else, Meshell brings her signature warmth and groove to everything she does and has appeared alongside the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, James Blood Ulmer, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tony Allen, John Medeski, Billy Preston, and Chaka Khan. As for her own bass-playing influences, she credits Sting, Jaco Pastorius, Family Man Barrett, and Stevie Wonder. Meshell was the first woman to be featured on the cover of Bass Player magazine and remains one of few women who write the music and lead the band.

Mem Nahadr - (also known as simply "M". The name NAHADR meaning “Divine LIght’) - is an internationally acclaimed performance artist and film composer, best known for the performance of the ballad “Butterfly”, for the soundtrack to the major motion picture “Cowboy Bebop -The Movie” -SONY CLASSICS and “I Found God In Myself” from the soundtrack to the motion picture “For Colored Girls” - LIONSGATE. She is widely known for her Off-Broadway performance art piece entitled: “Madwoman: A Contemporary Opera”. Ms Nahadr is also an author, composer, independent filmmaker and social activist for Albinism worldwide. (www.MemNahadr.com)

Toshi Reagon, singer/composer/producer/activist returns for the third year as Curator of three concerts of the Schomburg Center's 21st Women's Jazz Festival.