This record, as we're sure you know, is a spunky bit of hip hop-inflected R&B, with the kind of sinister groove that got Me'Shell noticed immediately after the record was released. It got a bit overplayed and overblown at the time it was released – but it actually holds up well over the years, especially considering the wealth of modern soul singers who've been inspired by it. Includes the single "If That's Your Boyfriend", plus "I'm Diggin You", "Soul On Ice", "Call Me", and "Picture Show". CD

A record that really marks the sophisticated transformation of the Meshell Ndegeocello sound – a move from the more straightforward soul of her earlier releases, to the complicated mix of sounds that's almost made her a genre unto herself! Throughout the years, Meshell has been as much an instrumentalist as a singer – and that quality really comes through here in charts that use gentle strings and darker currents next to the midtempo rhythms of the tracks – really enriching the sound while the singer opens up with more honesty and personal energy than ever before! The whole thing works wonderfully together as a really unified suite of tracks – on titles that include "Bitter", "Satisfy", "Fool Of Me", "May This Be Love", "Sincerity", "Wasted Time", "Eve", "Grace", "Loyalty", and "Adam". Features bonus instrumental and alternate tracks! CD

Meshell Ndegeocello comes on with the force of a comet – and delivers one of her boldest records in years – a crackling set of cosmic soul tunes that have all the power of the singer in her early years! Meshell's definitely absorbed some of the headier elements of her varied projects over the past decade or so – including some stronger jazz elements, a respect for older roots, and even a complicated sense of rhythms – but she also moves forward with a focus and presence that we haven't heard this strongly in years – proud, righteous, mature, and very much her own self throughout the course of this wonderful album! Titles include "Friends", "Shopping For Jazz", "Conviction", "Folie A Deux", "Choices", "Modern Time", "American Rhapsody", "Tom", "Good Day Bad", and "Comet Come To Me". CD

An incredible departure for Meshell Ndegeocello – a jazz-based project with a sound that's different than any of her other work! The album shows a depth that we never expected – a richly instrumental mode that's only touched by vocals on a few songs – and which is mostly territory explored by Meshell on bass, along with other jazz players that include Michael Cain on keyboards, Jack De Johnette on drums, and sax work from Kenny Garrett, Don Byron, Oliver Lake, and Oran Coltrane! 3 of the album's 8 tracks feature vocals – by Sabina, Cassandra Wilson, and Lalah Hathaway – and the tunes are all long, languid, and laidback – drifting along through some really moody territory. Titles include "Mu-Min", "Al Falaq 113", "Dance Of The Infidel", "The Chosen", "Luqman", and "Heaven". CD

A 90s classic from Meshell Ndegeocello – and one of the key records in showcasing how much new soul energy was beginning to brew up in the decade! The set forges an instant bridge between contemporary modes and the 70s – but all in a way that's freshly forward, not retro sleepy – as Meshell bursts forth with this voice that sets a whole new standard for female soul, and one that doesn't need to reference Aretha or Chaka, nor pretend it was raised on hip hop either! There's a power to the record that just gets stronger with each fresh listen – as you'll hear on titles that include "God Shiva", "Stay", "Bittersweet", "The Womb", "The Way", "Leviticus Faggot", "Deuteronomy Niggerman", "Ecclesiastes Free My Heart", "God Shiva", and her great cover of "Who Is He & What Is He To You". CD

A mindblowing collaboration – one that brings the soulful vocals of Nenah Cherry into play with the avant jazz sounds of The Thing – but all in a mode that's unlike anything either artist has recorded before! The mix of talents is no surprise – given that Nenah's dad is Don Cherry, whose own European work helped to set the tone for a generation – and also given that group members Mats Gustafsson, Paal Nilssen Love, and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten all have ears for styles that go way beyond jazz – including a surprisingly great taste for offbeat funk, which really comes to the forefront on this unusual set! Make no mistake, there's still plenty of jazz-based instrumentation – sharp reeds from Mats, heavy drums from Paal, and those magical moody basslines that we love so much from Ingebrigt – but they often get a bit more directed, and are augmented with slight added instrumentation at points – to provide a perfect foil for Cherry's righteous vocals – all with results that easily make the album one of the most unusual soul projects we've heard in years – on a par with equally creative efforts from artists like Meshell Ndegeocello, Erykah Badu, or Georgia Anne Muldrow. Titles include "Cashback", "Dream Baby Dream", "Too Tough To Die", "What Reason Could I Give", "Dirt", "Accordion", and "Sudden Moment". (Jazz, Neo Soul) CD

The start of an amazing new chapter in the career of Robert Glasper – one that would soon set the tone for a number of other records to come! This set features loads of Glasper's enigmatic piano lines – those fluid, elliptical sounds that are always filled with plenty of soul and imagination – matched here with guest vocals from a host of key talents – including Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, Musiq Soulchild, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bilal, and Lupe Fiasco! The blend is surprisingly wonderful – not a sell out at all, but a way for Glasper's music to reach a rich new level of expression – as the vocals really help the instrumental elements come alive – and unlock this side of Robert's potential that was always lurking in the background. One of the best musical moments from Blue Note at the time – with titles that include "Always Shine", "Move Love", "Ah Yeah", "Lift Off", "Afro Blue", "Cherish The Day", "Black Radio", and "Letter To Hermione". Japanese pressing includes the bonus track "Twice". (Jazz, Neo Soul) CD

Miguel Migs has often skewed more towards the soulful side of the house and otherwise club groove sound, and he does so on an even deeper level with Outside The Skylike! This one features a diverse roster of guests – and an impressive one, too – Meshell Ndegeocello, Bebel Gilberto, Capleton, Lisa Shaw, Evelyn Champagne King, Aya, Lisa Shaw and more! Really impressive work from Miguel, with timeless club soul influences going into inventive club grooves of his own unique inspiration. Includes "Tonight" and "Close Your Eyes" feat Meshell Ndegeocello, "Breakdown" and "Lose Control" with Lisa Shaw, "The Distance and "Don't Stop" feat Aya, "Life" feat Half Pint, "Changin'"f eat Sonny J Jameson, "The System" feat Capleton, "Getaway" with Georg Levin, "Zuzu" with Bebel Gilberto and more. (New Grooves, Neo Soul) CD