Mariea
Antoinette’s “All My Strings’ pays tribute to the evolution and magic that strings
contribute to music
The urban-jazz harpist’s “Loving
You” courts programmer’s ardor in advance of the release of her third album,
dropping April 24.
SAN DIEGO (30 March 2020): Mariea Antoinette
is upping the ante. Her previous albums have been designed to place the classical
harp in surprising, unimagined contexts: R&B, jazz and hip hop. The motif
expands on her third outing, “All My Strings,” which drops April 24 from
Infinity/Maasai Productions. Teaming with producer Allan Phillips,
who wrote four songs for the album, Antoinette’s focus is vibrational, celebrating
the progress and unique contributions made by stringed instruments in music.
“The
idea was to create an organic sound where most of the instrumentation of the
album is
propelled
by vibrating strings - harp, violins, violas, cellos, guitars and bass guitar. ‘All
My Strings’ is a tribute to the evolution and the magic that strings bring to
music,” said Antoinette, a San Diego native. “I wanted the album to unfold as
a beautiful, unexpected story.”
Antoinette
began telling the story a couple years ago when she released the album opener,
“Overture,” as a single, which went Top 5 on the Billboard chart and was
named Best Jazz Single by the Black Women in Jazz & the Arts
Association. With sweeping strings that build to a dramatic crescendo over
funky beats, the track provided an exciting preview of what was to come on “All
My Strings.” Last fall, Antoinette provided a second glimpse with the release
of “That Thing (Doo Woop),” a reinvention of the Lauryn Hill hit. A
third sampling came when “Loving You” began collecting airplay and playlist
adds last week. The single earned Most Added status at Billboard. Antoinette tells
the story behind why she elected to record the Minnie Riperton signature
tune.
“For
years, Allan (Phillips) had the idea of recording a tribute to my first
producer, the late Carl Evans, a founding member of the contemporary
jazz group Fattburger. Carl had inspired countless musicians in Southern
California and first introduced me and Allan. After years of searching, Allan suggested
‘Loving You.’ The original has a sublime effect that naturally seemed to work
great with the harp. Then Allan gathered the surviving original members of
Fattburger to record the song. We used a hallmark arrangement typical of
Fattburger’s chart-topping style along with the string ensemble that appears
throughout ‘All My Strings.’ The result is a fresh and exciting new version of
a classic so dear to everyone’s heart. It also honors Carl who taught us to
always spread love through our music - no matter what.”
Another
compelling selection from the set is “Garden of Peace,” a soothing original spoken
word number delivered by Antoinette over music by Lonnie Liston Smith.
“I
believe in the healing power of music and spoken word where it drives all the
tension from a room.
With
spoken word, you can take people on an unforgettable journey through the power
of words, something I do on all my projects. That was my intention with ‘Garden
of Peace.’ Coupled with a pure harp solo, it creates a journey that is inspirational,
creative and metaphysical. I love music that comes from an unknown place allowing
you to simply close your eyes and listen.”
Antoinette
wrote the album closer, “Gaia,” and spoke about its spontaneous origins.
“I
was taking a break in the studio after we recorded ‘Sekmet: Lioness Goddess.’ I
began playing the harp, channeling what was in my heart. Allan walked into the
room and asked what I was playing. He said we had to record it. It wasn’t
planned at all. Totally impromptu. Suddenly, 'Gaia’ was born.”
After
earning a master’s degree in harp performance, Antoinette debuted as a solo
artist in 2003 on the Evan’s-produced “Sexy Paradise.” She began serving
as principal harpist with the Los Angeles Southeast Symphony Orchestra
in 2007 and later played a private event for President Barack Obama and First
Lady Michelle Obama. Antoinette also accompanied Ne-Yo during a BET
Awards performance. Her 2015 “Straight From The Harp: Special Edition”
album, produced by Phillips, went Top 5 on the Billboard chart. Antoinette’s
honors include winning a 2018 Black Music Award and the Instrumentalist
of the Year title from the San Diego Prestige Awards the same year. In
addition to playing club, theater and festival dates with her own ensemble,
Antoinette has toured with the female-powered supergroup Jazz in Pink.
“All
My Strings” contains the following songs:
“Overture”
“Yearning
For Your Love”
“All
My Strings”
“Loving
You”
“Ain’t
Playin’”
“That
Thing”
“Sekmet:
Lioness Goddess”
“Garden
Of Peace”
“Gaia”
For more information, please
visit https://www.marieaantoinette.com.
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