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The Omnichord Real Book

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The Omnichord Real Book
A line drawing of a person with an eye watching from the corner
Studio album by
Meshell Ndegeocello
ReleasedJune 2, 2023 (2023-06-02)
Genre
Length72:25
LanguageEnglish, Xhosa
LabelBlue Note
Meshell Ndegeocello chronology
Ventriloquism
(2018) 		The Omnichord Real Book
(2023) 		No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin
(2024)

The Omnichord Real Book is a 2023 studio album by American musician Meshell Ndegeocello. It was met with acclaim from critics and became the first recipient of the newly created Grammy Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album, at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.[3][4]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
The Arts Desk[6]
Exclaim!8/10[7]
Pitchfork7.8/10[8]
PopMatters8/10[9]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Omnichord Real Book received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 from eight critic scores.[3] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Andy Kellman writing that the album has "a plenitude of supple rhythmic and ruminative vocal interplay".[5] Peter Quinn of The Arts Desk gives it 4 out of 5 stars, spotlighting several key tracks and calling this release "a treasure trove of musical memories".[6] At Exclaim!, Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo gave this album an 8 out of 10, stating that Ndegeocello allows her collaborators to shine and that this release is "a very solid start to [her] tenure at Blue Note".[7] In Glide Magazine, Jim Hynes writes that "there's so much to digest here that we may hear it a bit differently each time it plays".[1] Louder Than War's Gordon Rutherford scores The Omnichord Real Book 4.5 out of 5 for "a host of outstanding collaborators" and music that is "indubitably special" and "defies classification" that displays Ndegeocello's "absolute virtuosity".[10] Writing for NPR, Nate Chinen calls this an "expansive yet interior new album" that explores "realness".[2] That outlet also highlighted this album as one of the five best releases of the week for All Songs Considered.[11] Writing for Pitchfork, Matthew Ismael Ruiz rated this album a 7.8 out of 10, calling it "a natural synthesis of the jazz, rock, dub, and soul" that is consistent with Ndegeocello's sound.[8] An 8 out of 10 came from Matthew Ruiz of PopMatters who called this music "stellar soul", which he compares to several styles but calls singularly Ndegeocello's own.[9]

Editors at NPR Music chose this among the 50 best albums of 2023 and further distinguished it for praise with a crown signifying that it was recommended "to anyone looking for a spark, or a slow burn".[12] Carl Wilson at NPR Music chose this to be among the 50 best albums of 2023.[12] This album was included in a list of 24 runners-up for the best albums of 2023 in Slate.[13] Editors at AllMusic included this on their list of the best albums of 2023[14] and among their favorite R&B albums of 2023.[15] Editors at online retailer Qobuz included this on their list of the best jazz albums of 2023.[16]

At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024, The Omnichord Real Book won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album.[4] It marked Ndegeocello's first Grammy for a solo work, and her second overall, following the 2021 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song that Robert Glasper, H.E.R., and she shared for "Better than I Imagined".[4]

Track listing

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  1. "Georgia Ave" – 2:40
  2. "An Invitation" – 2:21
  3. "Call the Tune" – 1:54
  4. "Good Good" – 3:28
  5. "Omnipuss" – 2:51
  6. "Clear Water" – 4:35
  7. "ASR" – 7:38
  8. "Gatsby" – 4:21
  9. "Towers" – 3:35
  10. "Perceptions" – 2:14
  11. "THA KING" – 0:27
  12. "Virgo" – 8:39
  13. "Burn Progression" – 4:02
  14. "oneelevensixteen" – 2:50
  15. "Vuma" – 3:01
  16. "The 5th Dimension" – 5:25
  17. "Hole in the Bucket" – 5:30
  18. "Virgo 3" – 6:53

Personnel

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Hynes, Jim (June 13, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello Makes Blue Note Debut With Experimental 'The Omnichord Real Book'". Album Reviews. Glide Magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Chinen, Nate (June 15, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello opens the lid on her self-contained world". Music Reviews. NPR. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "The Omnichord Real Book by Meshell Ndegeocello Reviews and Tracks – Metacritic". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Minsker, Evan (February 4, 2024). "Meshell Ndegeocello Wins Inaugural Best Alternative Jazz Album Award at 2024 Grammys". News. Pitchfork. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Kellman, Andy (n.d.). "The Omnichord Real Book – Meshell Ndegeocello". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Quinn, Peter (June 12, 2023). "Album: Meshell Ndegeocello – The Omnichord Real Book". Reviews, News, & Interviews. The Arts Desk. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Alavo, Antoine-Samuel Mauffette (June 19, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello Unleashes a Whirlwind of Jazz on 'The Omnichord Real Book'". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (June 22, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello: The Omnichord Real Book Album Review". Albums. Pitchfork. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Layman, Will (September 20, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello's The Omnichord Real Book Is Stellar Soul". Album Reviews. PopMatters. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  10. ^ Rutherford, Gordon (June 14, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello: The Omnichord Real Book – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  11. ^ Contreras, Ayana; Gotrich, Lars; Pearce, Sheldon; Hilton, Robin (June 16, 2023). "New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 16". All Songs Considered. NPR. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  12. ^ a b "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". NPR Music. NPR. December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  13. ^ Wilson, Carl (December 11, 2023). "The best albums of 2023". Music. Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. OCLC 728292344. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  14. ^ "AllMusic Best of 2023". AllMusic. RhythmOne. n.d. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  15. ^ "Favorite R&B Albums". AllMusic. RhythmOne. n.d. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  16. ^ "The Best Albums of 2023". Qobuz Magazine. Qobuz. December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
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