Wow, it’s a great day when three longtime SoulTracks faves get together to make music. And that’s just what happened at Sheila E’s E. Spot Lounge in Los Angeles when multi-instrumentalist Zo! took the stage with singers Carmen Rodgers and Sy Smith. All three share a common bond of having worked with the supergroup The Foreign Exchange, but they had never done a show before as a trio.
The three embarked that night on a fully acoustic show, and filmmaker Shawn Carter Peterson was there to turn it into something special for the world outside of the club. The result is the music video trilogy of performances, surrounded by backstage views at the lives of the three stars.
The three songs highlighted in The Triptych show the artists at their best: Sy's jazzy uptempo "Personal Paradise" plays on her scat-like phrasing and precise percussive technique. Carmen's ballad "It's Me" displays her soulful tones, drenched with a longing that only experience allows a voice to portray. And Zo!'s "Flight Of The Blackbyrd" highlights that he's more than a producer/songwriter, he's a wonderfully-gifted pianist.
As Zo! told us of the project: "Anytime I can join forces with two of my musical ride-or-dies, it's always gonna be all about fun and making great music. I think this video not only captures, but embodies both of those aspects fully."
Sit back and enjoy The Triptych. It is our newest SoulTracks First Look.
Zo!, Sy Smith and Carmen Rodgers
"The Triptych"
