No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin is a 2024 studio album by American singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello, released on August 2, 2024, by Blue Note Records. It is a tribute album to African-American thinkers and writers, including namesake James Baldwin and Audre Lorde.[2] The album was preceded by songs "Raise the Roof", "Thus Sayeth the Lorde", and "Travel".[3][4]
| No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 2, 2024 | |||
| Length | 76:25 | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Meshell Ndegeocello chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Sadly, I didn't get his work until much later in life. Imagine if I had gotten this as a child. That's what we work on now, especially Paul Thompson, who's featured on the record. We try to have this taught in high school, to give some idea of the systematic racism that has been imposed on people of color since the beginning of this country. He's very prophetic in the sense that we're at a breaking point, and I think much like mental illness in the individual, if you build your house on a foundation of sand, it's bound to fall apart. I think that's what's happening in America. The delusion and the illusions are falling to the wayside. I'm just hoping we create something much better."
Track listing
edit- "Travel" – 4:09
- "On the Mountain" – 5:59
- "Baldwin Manifesto 1" – 0:43
- "Raise the Roof" – 5:06
- "The Price of the Ticket" – 1:34
- "What Did I Do?" – 5:18
- "Pride I" – 2:54
- "Pride II" – 2:38
- "Eyes" – 5:17
- "Trouble" – 7:18
- "Thus Sayeth the Lorde" – 5:40
- "Love" – 3:42
- "Hatred" – 5:28
- "Tsunami Rising" – 8:04
- "Another Country" – 4:47
- "Baldwin Manifesto 2" – 2:06
- "Down at the Cross" – 5:42
Personnel
edit- Meshell Ndegeocello – bass guitar, vocals, production
- Hilton Als – spoken word
- Chris Bruce – guitar, production
- Jebin Bruni – keyboards
- Staceyann Chin – spoken word
- Justin Hicks – vocals
- Kenita-Miller Hicks – vocals
- Josh Johnson – saxophone
- Julius Rodriguez – keyboards
- Abe Rounds – drums
- Jake Sherman – keyboards
- Paul Thompson – trumpet
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[5] | 67 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[6] | 59 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Budnick, Dave (July 1, 2024). "Meshell Ndegeocello on the Sonics of Sun Ra and the Gospel of James Baldwin". Relix. ISSN 0146-3489. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ Ermyas, Tinbete; Venkat, Mia; Shaprio, Ari (June 16, 2024). "Meshell Ndegeocello talks about her album and ongoing inspiration from James Baldwin". Music Interviews. All Things Considered. NPR. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ "MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO "NO MORE WATER: THE GOSPEL OF JAMES BALDWIN" OUT AUG. 2 ON EMINENT WRITER'S CENTENNIAL". Blue Note Records. May 31, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ Malin, Marina (July 12, 2024). "Meshell Ndegello Shares New Single "Thus Sayeth The Lorde" from Forthcoming Album". News. Under the Radar. ISSN 1553-2305. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Meshell Ndegeocello – No More Water - The Gospel Of James Baldwin". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 10, 2024.