Meshell Ndegeocello has shared the passionate and moving live performance of the song “Trouble.” The song is featured on Ndegeocello’s most recent album, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin. The entire album is dedicated to activist James Baldwin.

The deeply emotional piece “Trouble” is beautifully done in the new video. The video features a tearfully masterful performance featuring heavenly backup singers and a black and white visual. With spoken word poetry and church-like passion, the Blue Note album has brought new understandings of systematic racism. 

The Grammy award winner describes the album, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin as a testament of self-discovery, saying, “It came when I was ready to look in the mirror. I’ve had to play Plantation Lullabies at a few shows. Looking back, I had an interesting perspective, but the dialogue was limited. It was more like a cathartic experience for a young person of color, whereas now I’m going, ‘How can I get us all to love each other? How can I get us all to see this for what it is?” 

Critic Hilton Als describes the sound, saying, “The music you hear in No More Water, is Jimmy talking to Meshell and his words meeting the language of her sounds and then coming out again through a multitude of voices, a multitude of sounds and thoughts that bring Jimmy back and give him—finally—his whole and true self, that which he offered up, time and again, if only we knew then how to listen.” Which is incredibly relevant when listening to the live performance of “Trouble.” When you feel the music and the contrast with the spoken word, directly referencing Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time.  

The album features additional hits, such as, “Love” and “Thus Sayeth The Lorde” that capture the united message and similar sound. Additionally, Ndegeocello is on tour, meaning the exclusive live performance of “Trouble” will be taken globally. 

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO 2024 TOUR DATES: 

08/02/2024 – Brooklyn, NY – BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn 

08/04/2024 – Newport, RI – Newport Jazz Festival  

08/07/2024 – Denver, CO – Denver Botanic Gardens 

08/08/2024 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival 

09/15/2024 – Santa Fe, NM – New Mexico Jazz Festival 

09/16/2024 – Phoenix, AZ – MIM  

09/20/2024 – Somerville, MA – The Center for the Arts at the Armory  

09/21/2024 – Albany, NY-  Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center  

09/22/2024 – Columbus, OH – Wexner Center for the Arts 

09/26/2024 – Iowa City, IA – Infinite Dream Festival 

09/28/2024 – Madison, WI – Wisconsin Union Theater 

09/29/2024 – Fish Creek, WI – Door Community Auditorium  

10/03/2024 – Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live 

10/05/2024 – North Bethesda, MD – The Music Center at Strathmore 

10/06/2024 – Newark, NJ – New Jersey Performing Arts Center 

10/31/2024 – Lausanne, Switzerland – JazzOnze+ Festival Lausanne 

11/01/2024 – Enjoy Jazz-Alte Feuerwache – Mannheim, Germany 

11/03/2024 – Cologne, Germany – Stadtgarten Konzertsaal 

11/04/2024 – Cologne, Germany – Stadtgarten Konzertsaal 

11/06/2024 – Berlin, Germany – Musikbrauerei  

11/07/2024 – Berlin, Germany – Musikbrauerei 

11/09/2024 – Groningen, Netherlands – Rockit Festival  

11/10/2024 – Utrecht, Netherlands – Le Guess Who? Festival 

11/11/2024 – Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma 

11/12/2024 – Paris, France – New Morning 

11/13/2024 – Paris, France – New Morning  

11/15/2024 – London, United Kingdom – Koko 

12/02/2024 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley  

12/03/2024 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley 

12/04/2024 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley 

12/05/2024 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley 

12/07/2024 – Minneapolis, MN – Walker Art Center