Photo courtesy of Ropeadope Records
(July 10, 2020) If you’ve been hanging around SoulTracks for awhile, you probably know the name Brenda Nicole Moorer. We’ve happily covered the singer/songwriter for several years, and have embraced her brand of soulful jazz. She’s also gathered the attention of her musical peers, and she’s shared the stage with a who’s who of stars ranging from Roy Ayers to Incognito to Christian McBride.
Brenda has a lot going on now. She appears in the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic, RESPECT, even as she prepares her upcoming project, Marrow. The new disc sounds to us like another step forward. Produced by Troy Miller (Gregory Porter, Laura Mvula), it promises to be both ambitious and fully accessible.
(July 10, 2020) If you’ve been hanging around SoulTracks for awhile, you probably know the name Brenda Nicole Moorer. We’ve happily covered the singer/songwriter for several years, and have embraced her brand of soulful jazz. She’s also gathered the attention of her musical peers, and she’s shared the stage with a who’s who of stars ranging from Roy Ayers to Incognito to Christian McBride.
Brenda has a lot going on now. She appears in the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic, RESPECT, even as she prepares her upcoming project, Marrow. The new disc sounds to us like another step forward. Produced by Troy Miller (Gregory Porter, Laura Mvula), it promises to be both ambitious and fully accessible.
One song on Marrow that particularly strikes us is Brenda’s remake of the Minnie Riperton classic, “Take a Little Trip” (written by Stevie Wonder). The number is a breezy ride, with Brenda's voice absolutely captivating. It is a difficult song to cover, but she does it beautifully and honors the original version while also making it her own.
Brenda tells us, “Minnie Riperton is one of my favorite artists of all time. The album that Stevie Wonder produced for her is in my top 10 favorite records ever. I decided to cover ‘Take a Little Trip’ at the start of writing my new record Marrow, which is an album about self-discovery and realizing we have power and light inside of us. I was listening to songs that inspired me, I was exploring within myself, my own limitations, imperfections, and discovering my own power. ‘Take a Little Trip’ was a reminder to look within. Releasing it now, as the first single off the record, couldn’t be more appropriate. Most of the world is quarantined and not able to physically take a trip. But, this time and space is so needed for the world to take a little trip through our minds and explore it. Take a moment and breath, look within, reassess, discover something new and grow.”
We’re proud to present our newest First Listen for “Take a Little Trip.” Check it out below and welcome Brenda Nicole Moorer back to SoulTracks.
Brenda Nicole Moorer
"Take a Little Trip"
;