The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel

1	Mu-Min / Josh Roseman 1:54
2	Al-Falaq 113 / Michael Cain 11:47
3	Aquarium / Sabina Sciubba 4:43
4	Papillon / Federico Gonzalez Peña 11:32
5	Dance of the Infidel / Chris Dave 7:26
6	The Chosen / Michael Cain 6:34
7	Luqman / Gregoire Maret 11:55
8	Heaven / Chris Dave 6:07

Barnes & Noble

Meshell Ndegeocello calls The Spirit Music Jamia her vision of spiritual groove music -- improvisation featuring jazz and soul legends and luminaries. The genre-splicing performer says the pieces here were influenced by life, Miles Davis, Kool Herc, Carl Sagan and holy scripture.

All Music Guide

Filling the roles of central artist, composer, and director, Me'Shell NdegéOcello takes a left turn with Dance of the Infidel, a very loose affair that nonetheless flows with a natural grace. It is, for the most part, a jazz album, indicated by a shifting lineup that includes Jack DeJohnette, Oliver Lake, Don Byron, and Kenny Garrett, along with vocal turns from Cassandra Wilson, Lalah Hathaway, and Sabina Sciubba. The album is bound to challenge a good number of NdegéOcello's fans (particularly the ones with limited interest or familiarity with the form), but they needn't feel as if they're in over their heads. Little cracks in the bassist's past work have opened up to be fully explored -- it's hardly a 180, with her warm, bobbing bass adaptable to any context. And since the album is split almost evenly between sprawling 12-minute pieces and song-based material, it's liable to please both sides in some measure. Compared to NdegéOcello's past albums, Dance of the Infidel isn't as enveloping or moving (a couple spells are particularly dry, and many will miss not hearing the bassist's vocals), but it's full of bright colors, and not without its pleasures. As always, wondering where she'll take you next is part of the fun. Andy Kellman