MUSIC MONDAYS

D Angelo Send It On High-Definition (HD) from Carlos212 on Vimeo.
I think it's a bit easy to be mislead by the thumbnail of this video, but press play and bear with it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

I am a MASSIVE fan of D'Angelo - I think he represents everything I love about black music. There's an amazing intricacy to his arrangements and he surrounds himself with a fairly stable roster of talented musicians who bring their own flavours to this slick, delicious brew of funky-as-hell future shocked rhythm and blues. There's bits of gospel there from Chalmer Alford's shimmering guitars, smooth as butter, ultra-minimalist basslines from Pino Palladino, terse-and-crisp backbeats from Questlove of the Roots Crew... I could go on for days about the level of musicianship that D'Angelo has at his beck and call as a band leader.

I think what I love most is how fresh it still sounds (despite being nearly a decade old). Unlike other musicians, D'Angelo could effortlessly blend the music traditions of the past like gospel, funk and RnB with modern jazz sensibilities. He was one of the innovators of underground black music during the late 90's and the 2000's, preferring real, live instruments and mellow arrangements to the over-produced, pumping computer programmed sounds that dominated the pop and hip-hop charts. Unlike rappers obsessed with image and aggresive beats or the sludgey angst of the grunge movement, D'Angelo's music was cool and effortless.

The video was taken, most likely, at his hey-day some time in 2000 - probably during the Voodoo tour supporting his sophomore release of the same name. While some of the shows in London and Brazil have now taken on a legendary status, D'Angelo became a recluse. I'm not too sure about the details- I think he had issues with body image (thanks to a pushy record label and an infamous video clip), insecurities and pressure that ultimately drove him under the radar for nearly a decade. While there have been reports that he is working on a new album and getting back on track, I think he'll be taking his time.

For now, here's Send It On, one of my all-time-favourite songs. Period. Turn down the lights, relax with a drink, hit play and lose yourself to the smooth, esoteric sounds of D'Angelo and his band. Your ears and mind will thank you for it.