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)

The Omnichord Real Book is a 2023 studio album by American musician Meshell Ndegeocello. It has received positive reviews from critics.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The Arts Desk[5]
Exclaim!8⁄10[6]
Pitchfork Media7.8⁄10[7]
PopMatters8⁄10[8]

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".[4] 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".[5] 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".[6] 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".[9] 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.[10] Writing for Pitchfork Media, 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.[7] 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.[8]

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".[11] Carl Wilson at NPR Music chose this to be among the 50 best albums of 2023.[11] This album was included in a list of 24 runners-up for the best albums of 2023 in Slate.[12] Editors at AllMusic included this on their list of the best albums of 2023[13] and among their favorite R&B albums of 2023.[14] Editors at online retailer Qobuz included this on their list of the best jazz albums of 2023.[15]

Track listing

  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

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 Chinen, Nate (June 15, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello opens the lid on her self-contained world". Music Reviews. NPR. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "The Omnichord Real Book by Meshell Ndegeocello Reviews and Tracks – Metacritic". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Kellman, Andy (n.d.). "The Omnichord Real Book – Meshell Ndegeocello". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Quinn, Peter (June 12, 2023). "Album: Meshell Ndegeocello – The Omnichord Real Book". Reviews, News, & Interviews. The Arts Desk. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  6. 1 2 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.
  7. 1 2 Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (June 22, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello: The Omnichord Real Book Album Review". Albums. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Layman, Will (September 20, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello's The Omnichord Real Book Is Stellar Soul". Album Reviews. PopMatters. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  9. ↑ Rutherford, Gordon (June 14, 2023). "Meshell Ndegeocello: The Omnichord Real Book – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. 1 2 "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". NPR Music. NPR. December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  12. ↑ Wilson, Carl (December 11, 2023). "The best albums of 2023". Music. Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. OCLC 728292344. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  13. ↑ "AllMusic Best of 2023". AllMusic. RhythmOne. n.d. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Favorite R&B Albums". AllMusic. RhythmOne. n.d. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  15. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2023". Qobuz Magazine. Qobuz. December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
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