PHOTO : CHARLIE GROSS
Meshell Ndegeocello is a world-renowned singer , songwriter , and bassist . Her new album , Ventriloquism , will be released March 16 th , 2018 . www . meshell . com
CM : In 1995 , you were on the cover of Bass Player and I thought , “ This is the coolest person I ’ ve ever seen !” I ran out and bought Plantation Lullabies and it was a game changer . Aside from the great bass playing , there was so much more – the vocals , lyrics , and arrangements . How do you look back on that album ?
MN : It was a great experience . I got to meet so many amazing people . In youth , you ’ re so confident about your position and your emotions are at the surface . I just see it as a season in my life or a period of time that I once occupied . And I feel lucky enough to have been given a budget to go see what I could find with my ideas . I just had a lot more access to studios and different kinds of engineers . I miss those times . Music has become such an individual pursuit . I do miss that sort of experience .
CM : Did you start on bass ?
MN : I played the clarinet first . My father was a sax player and my brother played guitar . My dad brought a Rhodes home one day and I had a fourtrack . I messed around on keyboard first . Then my brother ’ s friends left a bass over and I just started fiddling with that . When I look back , I was always more interested in making songs . I knew I ’ d never be a virtuoso bass player . I just saw it as a tool , just one of the tools in the writing arsenal . I wanted to make songs rather than just learn to play the bass . I was a big fan of Prince , too . He was my icon for understanding that , you know , play well , but it ’ s all about what you can create . The song is a vehicle for you to play well .
CM : Speaking of Prince , you cover “ Sometimes It Snows in April ” on Ventriloquism . It sounds fantastic .
MN : Oh thanks ! That beginning is Kaveh Rastegar . He plays with Kneebody , an amazing band . He ’ s also the bass player for John Legend . He ’ s very musical . He ’ s one of my favourite bass players .
CANADIAN MUSICIAN • 51