Me'Shell Ndegeocello

Me'Shell Ndegeocello is a sultry sorceress stirring up a soulful pot of funk, jazz, R&B, dub, rock — you name it, the singer/songwriter/bassist has spiced her shape-shifting sound with it. Her first burst of fame came with the brash, booty-shaking braggadocio of "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)," mixing Soul II Soul-style skip-hop beats with splashes of jazz. She damn near stole "Who Is He and What Is He to You" away from Bill Withers by sexing it up with a feel smoky enough to bring a fleet of fire engines to the door. And she's even got the chops to put a new spin on a tune you thought was written in stone — just listen to the way her wicked, wobbly bassline makes the groove stand at attention on her "Wild Night" duet with John Mellencamp.

  In Next Steps, fly high with Me'Shell across bebop, British house music, and more.

The former Michelle Johnson's stage surname translates into "free like a bird" in Swahili, and that's exactly the way she approaches music. She's not afraid to soar with another famed "Bird," shaking up Charlie Parker's bop classic "Relaxin' At Camarillo" with a remix powered by her slippery bass strut. And then, just when you think she's run out of sky, she glides into a sweet Southern soul spot, serving up a vintage Stax vibe — with the customary Me'Shell twist, of course — on the Soul Men soundtrack stunner "Water."

Find out what Me'Shell's all about by listening to her body talk, in Deep Cuts.

Time to penetrate to the core of what Me'Shell Ndegeocello's all about. There's a deep sensuality shining through all of her many musical personalities. Sometimes it's soft and tender, like the pillow-talk whispers blowing across the twinkling acoustic dewdrops of "Beautiful." Sometimes it's steamy and sexy, like the churning waves of molten funk that say it's time to get down to business on "Body." And on "Relief - A Stripper Classic," things start out tough and intense with thick slabs of rock guitar, but before long, Me'Shell takes it to another realm, bridging the gap between the sensual and the spiritual with more style and soul than anybody this side of Al Green.

From one song to the next, sometimes it seems like there are a dozen different artists all occupying a single organism that answers to the name Me'Shell Ndegeocello. Anybody who can lay down jazz jams alongside the legendary likes of Oliver Lake and Don Byron, find a soul connection with both John Mellencamp and Basement Jaxx, and cover — no, reinvent — tunes by everyone from Radiohead to Earth, Wind & Fire, has just got to be doing some kind of voodoo, right? Well, we can't reveal any supernatural secrets the multi-talented Me'Shell may or may not be employing. What we can do is take you on a wild, whirlwind tour through her world, where the chartbusters and GRAMMY® nominees ride alongside the more mysterious corners of her catalog, adding up to the ultimate Ndegeocello experience.