I have been blessed with a lot of success in working with my UK brothers Reel People…. positive vibes and messages from people all over the world digging our collaborations. Their music inspires me to write, and I love how they take the time to re-imagine our previously released songs by pairing them with 5-star producers. The latest pairing is a super remix of “Sure,” the lead single from the “Golden Lady” album, by the one and only Mark de Clive-Lowe.
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Soooooo straight from Jarrard Anthony’s show at Mist, I made my way to DROM(which is quickly becoming my second home) to link up with the missing member of the “All Around the World Ensemble” – Nate Smith and to meet Mark de Clive-Lowe personally at his Church NYC 1-Year Anniversary.
For those that don’t know, Church is a monthly live Jam/DJ set/Electronic performance/special guest infused extravaganza. You never know what or who you are gonna get, but you know it’s gonna be great.
Mark de Clive-Lowe mans a set-up of synths, drum machines, fx, and laptop, all perched around a good old fashioned acoustic piano. It’s an impressive show of lights alone, but watching him twist and turn portions of sound to create textures and accompanying them truly has to be seen/heard to be believed. If that weren’t enough, he is accompanied by some serious A-list musicians.
Left to Right: Mark de Clive-Lowe, Mark Kelley, Casey Benjamin, Nate Smith
It’s such a great feeling to see my peoples doing their thing. I hadn’t seen Nate Smith play live other than in studio while recording “All Around the World,” but his name precedes him…. now I know why. Far from the subtlety of “All Around the World” Nate was thundering down on the drums in a dizzing array of skill… literally shaking each piece where they stood – he’s a bad boy. The last time I saw, Mark Kelley we were in Japan at a noodle shop in Shibuya after a gig with Angela Johnson. Now you can see him regularly on the Jimmy Fallen show throwing down on bass for the Roots. I met Casey Benjamin (multi-instrumentalist on the Robert Glasper Experiment) really early in my career. He was playing keys with a talkbox, and now, years later I am jamming to his version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the “Black Radio” album. Rounding out the collective, was Nia Andrews, who I hadn’t heard before but I encourage you all to check out. It is not easy to sing amidst all that’s on offer at Church, but she maneuvered masterfully through the soundscape, cutting through and filling the hall.
-other guests included John Robinson, Amma Whatt, Tivon Pennicott, Jaleel Shaw, Marcus Strickland, Ben Williams.
Oh did I forget to mention, DJ Questlove was on the 1’s and 2’s!
As I work on my new project and prepare for my show at DROM on Dec 29th, this was just the shot in the arm I needed!
– shout out to Cori Robinson, Amma Whatt (who hit the stage and knocked it down as per normal), and Miles Anthony for pushing me to go even though I was dead tired. lol.