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Blessed with a voice that can make you weak in the knees, lift you up and exalt you, mesmerize you, soothe you, thrill you, Redbone purrs, whispers and belts her messages of struggle and redemption over her unique gumbo of old school soul, rock, funk, jazz, blues and traditional Native American music.
Martha's musical talent has caught the ears of legends George Clinton/Parliament Funkadelic, Junie Morrison/Ohio Players & Funkadelic, Bonnie Raitt, Youssou N?Dour, Taj Mahal, Nona Hendryx and John Densmore of the Doors, while fueled by widespread radio play domestically and internationally alongside ecstatic live performances the singing/songwriting/producing dynamo is building a loyal world-wide audience.
Redbone?s role as a leading voice in both soul and contemporary Native music has been recognized by the awards garnered for both her albums - ?Skintalk? and ?Home of the Brave?; 2006 Independent Music Awards Best R&B album; Best Debut Artist at the 2002 Native American Music Awards; Indian Summer Music Award 2 consecutive years for Best RnB Album 2004 & 2005. Also in 2005 Martha received the Natl HIV/Aids Partnership Red Ribbon Award at the UN for her community work.
Currently the Brooklyn native of a Choctaw/Shawnee/Cherokee/Blackfeet mother and African-American father, is working on her third album which she describes as ?an organic soulful approach to songs about love and war, of some of the joys that can be found at home and the battles we face in the world of power.?
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Indigenous in the News Featured Artist Review
Martha Redbone - Skin Talk
By:
I am The Syntax Savage riding a prayer in search of the cumulative litany of sin and salvation, looking for forgiveness that is a promise of wind and rain, a look into the depths of my own soul, a look of darkness as I don a game face for the streets of south Minneapolis, Martha Redbone?s new CD Skintalk on the Ipod, pushing off and rolling down the path with destiny as my destination.
Martha sets the tone of the CD with the song Talk About It. Her range is terrific, combined with her soulful interpretation of the lyrical sentiment Martha is right there with the greats in my opinion. ?Why can?t we talk about it? What are we gonna do? Here lies the logic that remains today, we know what we?re in for, passion likes no open doors, we?re too young to die. Tryin? to send a message to stand down, we gotta hurry ?fore its too late, I only wish that we knew the answer, then maybe we could save the day?
Lyrically she is very strong and there?s something a little Stylistics in her arrangements. The only thing missing is the chipmunk 1st tenor voice over top everything else. The similarity is unmistakable to me and paying respects to your mentors is a good thing.
The song Medicine Man features a YES contrapuntal intro with the mysterious sound of medicine to it. For a people so in need of healing, native people need to hear Martha sing. This is an important concept inside the community but also relates to the healing power of love. This song integrates some traditional vocables over top the rock solid playing of a band that cannot be underestimated.
Certainly one of my favorites and the title song of the album, Skin features a Steve Vai style guitar intro that moves to a bottom heavy funk groove as Martha sings in the chorus, ?Imma skin, Imma skin, in the skin I?m in. Imma skin, Imma skin and I?m alive, gonna be the same old skin 'til the day I die.? The title of the album indicates a sense of humor about some things. It could infer or refer to a person?s ethnicity but, could also easily be construed as a sexual innuendo double entendre of sorts meant in only the most romantic sense of the words that she uses.
The song Children of Love features Dennis Banks & Gyassi Ross and starts with a traditional vocable chant in the intro but segues nicely into a low smooth groove when Martha comes in with her vocal and it Includes spoken word over top the groove. How cool is it to include uncle Dennis in this recording? I recently watched We Shall Remain which documented the take over at Wounded Knee and Russell tells the story of how the government sent F-16?s to fly over the church and Dennis ran out into the yard pulled his pistol and began firing at them. Russell says, ?That?s like the great eagle swooping in for the kill on the little mouse and that mouse is standing there going like this.? Yeah. Natives do defiance and we do it well. The vocable chanting comes in over top the groove later in the song and it keeps this song vital and in the pocket. We all know how much we owe Dennis Banks and crew and we?ll never forget.
Martha ends her CD Skintalk with the song From Now On which features a very snappy hot rhythm section that pulls dancing out of my heart and I?ve got the bike bouncin? down the sunny side of Park Avenue on my way home for another cup of my favorite fuel.
Martha has done what I?ve only been able to dream about. A melding of traditional elements with the funk and groove of classic blue collar Rhythm and Blues. I have had dreams about this CD. It?s absolutely wonderful stuff and my advice is that you go buy it now. Martha is a talent so huge and creative that she is the one Native Artist I?ve reviewed that has the potential of cross over into the general public?s consciousness and have an impact on the way other musicians will view their material as well as being able to maintain longevity in the music business.
The poetry of sweaty sex, the funk of factory fumes, Jack Daniels and hand-rolled Cuban cigars, the swinging saxophones of romantic self-determinism on one hand and the neon night time madness of Minneapolis streets, given as a gift to the goddess of time, struck down by the lightning of steel and glass on the other, the r n b ride is lower and slower and if angels ride bike in heaven they?re listening to Martha Redbone and Skintalk and there?s no pot holes in the street.
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