Grammy-winning musician Meshell Ndegeocello will grace Arts at the Armory’s Spotlight Series and Performance Hall on Friday, September 20.

Ndegeocello just released her highly anticipated album No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin on August 2, 2024, in honor of what would have been the revered writer’s 100th birthday.

This project, almost 10 years in the making, explores Baldwin’s work and draws inspiration from his seminal nonfiction piece, The Fire Next Time. The new album features contributions from Ndegeocello’s frequent collaborators, including guitarist Chris Bruce and vocalist Justin Hicks, as well as spoken word by poet Staceyann Chin and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hilton Als.

Ndegeocello is a virtuosic creative as a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Her storied career has included songs topping Billboard charts, most notably her original “If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)” in 1994. Ndegeocello has collaborated on bass and rapped alongside Madonna on her album Bedtime Stories, and on Chaka Khan’s single “Never Miss the Water” in 1996. Her recent album release and Blue Note Records debut, The Omnichord Real Book, is an exquisite, deeply jazz-influenced album that earned Ndegeocello the 2024 Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album.

Grammy-winning musician Meshell Ndegeocello

The New York Times published an article about Ndegeocello on August 1, 2024. Read “Meshell Ndegeocello Could Have Had Stardom but Chose Music Instead” by Wesley Morris.

The local opener for Ndegeocello’s concert will be pianist and composer Zahili Zamora. Born in Manzanillo, Cuba, Zamora has pursued musical excellence and creativity all her life, from touring internationally to inspiring young musicians as a professor at Berklee College of Music. www.zahilizamora.com

Arts at the Armory looks forward to welcoming audiences to experience Meshell Ndegeocello live on Friday, September 20, with her band. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., the concert will start at 8:00 p.m. with Zamora to open.

Co-curated by Arts at the Armory Co-Directors Jess White and Stephanie Scherpf, and produced and promoted by Arts at the Armory, the Spotlight Series celebrates the diversity and culture of the community by bringing world-renowned performers, always paired with a local opening act, into a historic and intimate setting. The series spotlights local, national and international artists from diverse communities, and provides platforms that amplify these voices.

So far this year, Arts at the Armory’s Spotlight Series presented Peter Mulvey, Blind Boys of Alabama, Tracy Kidder and Dr. Jim O’Connell, The Soul Rebels, Dobet Gnahoré, and Ravi Coltrane.

The Center for Arts at the Armory is located at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143. To learn more please visit their website, artsatthearmory.org.

Arts at the Armory Fall 2024 Spotlight Series Concerts:

Friday, September 6     LADY LAMB w/ HANNAH MOHAN & NAOMI WESTWATER
Tickets: https://the-center-for-arts-at-the-armory.ticketleap.com/lady-lamb/

Friday, September 20 MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO 

Tickets: https://the-center-for-arts-at-the-armory.ticketleap.com/meshell-ndegeocello/

Friday, October 11 BALA BILA featuring BALLA KOUYATE & MATCHUME ZANGO

Tickets: https://the-center-for-arts-at-the-armory.ticketleap.com/bala-bila/

Friday, November 15 LAKOU MIZIK

Tickets: the-center-for-arts-at-the-armory.ticketleap.com/lakou-mizik/