Musique Noire

"The cultural melting pot of Detroit has produced remarkable jazz artists who incorporate diverse ethnic sounds into their music. Led by violinist and flutist Michelle May, Motor City quartet Musique Noire weave elements of Spain, Africa, India and the Middle East into their sonic tapestry. But jazz and blues provide the bedrock on which they build, as they and their guests draw connections between America's grand music and its antecedents and analogs on 'Reflections: We Breathe' (Ann Vincent Productions), their latest recording. That the group comprises all women lends a powerful point of view, particularly on a potent interpretation of Nina Simone's 'Four Women' , the vocal parts shared among the group. Written by JoVia Armstrong, the instrumental "Reflections", included here, begins with the gentle strum of the acoustic guitar and the plaintive sound of the viola before the tune takes a turn for the celebratory. Marion Haden's (sic) liquid bass lines and Armstrong's lively percussion add danceable rhythms, and soon, violist Leslie Deshazor and guitarist Elden Kelly are lifting their feet and dancing along on their respective instruments." - Jazziz Magazine

"Michelle Ann May, a talented and creative violinist and flutist, emerged from this world of multi-ethnic Detroit sounds. . .she is here, with an assemblage of some of the finest musicians in the city; women with several collective lifetimes of musical experience, all versed in the international sounds of this sprawling metropolis. . .Musique Noire is an exuberant, jazzy ensemble. . .experience this magical, sophisticated chamber performance and be transported to many other lands via soulful, global Detroit." - Marsha Music (www.marshamusic.wordpress.com)

Musique Noire open their latest album with a vibrant interpretation of Nina Simone's "Four Women," springing forth from the indefatigable spirit of its lyrics and suturing a sureness and empowerment from its outset, a theme and an energy that will continue throughout. Mesmerizing vocals and sinewy/smooth strings set the stage for what will be a venturous and stylized album that celebrates women warriors, while combining vibes, rhythms and signature phrasings from all over the world.

The ribbon-like kite gust of "Ibelec's" primary melody is indelible and carries you away. The Spanish guitar flourishes of "Whiskey & Sangria" are transportive and given extra evocation by the taut expressiveness of the strings. "Reflections" slows the tempo and all but takes it away for a nocturne of quiet contemplation until it can't help but burst just past it's 1-minute mark with ebullient symbols and a minimalist guitar giving nice augmented radiance to the impassioned strings. The bass can shine on the groove-centric "We Breathe," which closes things out with a poignant spoken-word performance by violinist Michelle May. "If you look in our eyes, you see our wisdom / our survival / our trials.... Our triumphs."

The groups core, May on violin, Leslie DeShazor Adams on viola, Leah Lucas Celebi on viola/violin and JoVia Armstrong on percussion, are featured throughout the album, along with several guests like Marion Hayden on bass and Elden Kelly on guitar. Each member takes on production roles with different tracks and is each trade off as lead arranger from piece to piece.

It's an inspirational listening experience. . . - Jeff Milo - Deep Cutz Music

"A very cool little project -- an instrumental set that's heavy on string-based instruments -- kind of an electrified string quartet, and one with a pretty funky feel at times too! Group members mix together violin, viola, and percussion with a bit of guitars and bass -- using the instruments playfully, and in a variety of settings that almost recall some of the instrumental revolutions of the 80s -- kind of a space between Kronos Quartet and some of the more creative combos of the New York scene. There's just a bit of vocals on the record, but the main focus is instrumental -- and the rhythms bring in a lot of world echoes, creating a cross-cultural vibe at times." - www.dustygroove.com

A woman-led band transforms instruments typical of classical music into tools for creating jazz sounds from around the globe. String and percussion quintet Musique Noire covers many miles of musical territory--from Latin to Moroccan, from funk to The Beatles. The group's debut disc, "Good Hair" dishes up diverse dialects all spoken through the language of jazz. . .Violin and viola create a stark contrast to the funk bass that opens the song 'Heretic'. Percussion soars on the Morroccan flavored 'Shrug' and the Afro-Latin opener 'Uncle Check's Cha Cha Cha'. A bouncing rendition of The Beatles' 'Eleanor Rigby' is downright danceable.

(The) ensemble Musique Noire, fuses world music and jazz, resulting in a style that is at once classical and cutting edge. The unconventional combination of violin, viola and percussion lends an exotic air to the group's arrangements of jazz standards and original compositions. - J. Nadir Omowale - African American Family Magazine

"Good Hair" is gorgeous. The music is fresh, melodic, soulful, full of life with a bit of an edge. Congratulations.
- Linda Yohn, Music Director, WEMU 89.1

"The instrumentation may seem a bit unusual, but the clever arrangements bring it all together in an exciting and tuneful fashion. Some of the string quartet/crossover albums have not quite gotten it in the groove, but Musique Noir (sic) is swinging." - John Henry

The group Musique Noire, which recorded its debut album Good Hair (2008) around the Livonia area, is made up of Michelle May, Leslie Deshazor Adams, Leah Lucas, Jovia Armstrong, and Mark Sawasky. Unlike Orpheum Bell, which maintained a clear style throughout each track, Musique Noire seems to change styles with every song. That made for a very enjoyable listen as the group took me around the musical world in style and structure.

Opening with "Uncle Check's Cha-Cha," the group moves through two original compositions, one sounding very eastern European, before taking a turn at Chick Corea's "La Fiesta." It's probably a safe bet to say that was not written for violin, but it sounds like it could have been. At times reminiscent of Jean-Luc Ponty, there are other offerings that certainly are enough to make this gypsy weep. Other original works are wrapped around a jazzy version of "Eleanor Rigby," before culminating in the title track. They may call it "Good Hair," but the 10 tracks on this CD add up to what I call "excellent album."

Musique Noire is a classy group that can move in any musical direction with ease and grace. Mostly instrumental, Good Hair is one of those rare recordings that can be listened to closely with headphones or put on for an ambient background effect. I will be doing both because it is a recording that I found extremely enjoyable.

- Peter Karoly, www.360mainstreet.com

Excerpt:
"When Carter arrived in New York, jazz violinists were few and far between . . . Now Carter can look at a musical landscape that includes Daniel Bernard Roumain, whose classical, jazz and pop projects have pushed the violin's role even further from string quartet territory; Jenny Scheinman who has deftly merged the violin's country tradition with a fierce appetite for jazz experimentation; the members of Musique Noire, who are showing how well strings and percussion can work as the core of a band and many, many, others." - Martin Johnson, TheRoot.com

Kudos to violinist/bandleader/producer/arranger Michelle May and the entire team of Musique Noire for a job well done!

At the very first notes one gets the sense of hypnotic intoxication and while the music pours out seemingly so easy there'll be no denying the plentiful passion, sexy sizzle and rhythmic vibes to be had through the awesome team work of Musique Noire...the debut release of Musique Noire's - "Good Hair" is musical food for the soul.

Maxine Michaels
Detroit Radio Broadcaster
www.myspace.com/maxinemichaels
MaxineMichaels@sbcglobal.net - Maxine Michaels, Detroit Radio Personality

On behalf of the Performing Arts Committee I express our gratitude to Musique Noire for an absolutely exceptional afternoon of music. The outstanding musicianship of each and every one of you was a privilege to experience and it was a pleasure to have you as part of our 2009-2010 performance series. ~Dr. Lawrence Gage
- First Presbyterian Church of Farmington Hills, MI

What a wonderful sound your band has! How accepting the audience was in hearing new instrumentation and Jazz. Thanks so much for participating in our 28th Annual Flint Jazz Festival. We greatly appreciated you and your band coming and gracing us with your sound. - Cathy Johnson, Program Director