Meshell Ndegeocello Honors James Baldwin on “No More Water” – No Treble

Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin

This year marks the centennial of James Baldwin, whose writing and activism influenced generations to come. One artist that has been deeply affected by his work is bassist, singer, and composer Meshell Ndegeocello.

The musician has celebrated his life and legacy with her new album, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin. Similar to Baldwin’s writing, Ndegeocello explores topics of race, sexuality, and religion on the album. His essays were life-changing to her, giving her an even deeper understanding of the history of race and class country struggle in the U.S.

“As a Black American, you are devoid of any historical grounding other than what your parents give you. This allowed me to really see what my parents went through,” Ndegeocello shared.“He talks about how the military ruined people. I think that’s the beginning of alcoholism with my father, the beginning of understanding that he would never rise above a certain rank. My mother was a domestic with a fourth-grade education. It just made me see them trying to raise a family, have a marriage, and be individuals in a society that’s been hard-wired for racism, bigotry, and classism.”

Hear more about Ndegeocello’s perspective in this “First Look” interview with Blue Note President Don Was.

As you can imagine, the music is remarkably deep and moving. Here’s a performance video of Ndegeocello performing “Trouble.” Starting on just vocals, the bassist eventually picks up her four-string to push the groove towards the end of the song.