Congratulations to Meshell Ndegeocello for winning the Best Alternative Jazz Album Grammy for No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin! Meshell was the inaugural winner for this category last year for her Blue Note debut The Omnichord Real Book, and also took home a Grammy in 2021 for Best R&B Song with Robert Glasper and Gabriella Wilson for the song Better Than I Imagined, performed by HER.
Meshell Ndegeocello’s 2nd Blue Note album No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin is a striking homage to the eminent writer and activist James Baldwin. Ndegeocello’s transformative music and collaborative spirit ignites this genre-bending work that is at once a musical experience, a church service, a celebration, a testimonial, and a call to action. Co-produced by Meshell and guitarist Chris Bruce, the album also features frequent collaborators Justin Hicks, Kenita Miller-Hicks, Josh Johnson, Jebin Bruni, Abe Rounds, Jake Sherman, and Julius Rodriguez, as well as powerful spoken word performances by poet and activist Staceyann Chin and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hilton Als.
“No More Water is a provocative piece of art that adapts Baldwin’s writings in a way that speaks to modern American life.” – Rolling Stone
“Meshell Ndegeocello’s No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin is beyond just music and more like a sermon for those with ears to hear and hearts to feel. In short, it is hard to imagine hearing this album and not being changed. I certainly am.” –Albumism
“With No More Water, Ndegeocello offers an engrossing tribute to Baldwin’s continuing legacy as a witness-bearer and creative lodestar.” – Flood Magazine
Click here to stream No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin
Click here to watch Meshell’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert featuring songs from the album