Amel Larrieux
Encyclopedia
Amel Larrieux is an American soul
and R&B
singer-songwriter
and keyboardist
. Larrieux rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a founding member of the duo Groove Theory
along with Bryce Wilson
. After leaving the group in 1999, she released her debut solo album Infinite Possibilities
the following year on Epic Records
. In late 2003, Larrieux founded her own independent label
, Blisslife Records, on which she has released three albums so far. Larrieux cites Ella Fitzgerald
, Prince
, Rickie Lee Jones
, Stevie Wonder
, Shawn Colvin
, Chaka Khan
, John Lennon
, Patrice Rushen
, Jimi Hendrix
, and Joni Mitchell
as her musical influences.
in the Manhattan
neighborhood of Greenwich Village
, New York City
, New York
. Her African American
- Sub-Saharan mother, Brenda Dixon Gottschild, is a dance
critic, author, and college instructor. Her father is of French
, English
, and Scottish
descent. Larrieux was raised in a very artistic environment and was surrounded by talented and inspirational artists. Larrieux attended Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Some of her classmates include: members of Boyz II Men
, jazz bassist Christian McBride
, jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel
, jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco
, and The Roots
member Questlove. Larrieux attended the senior prom
with Questlove. Many of her influences are drawn from R&B, soul, jazz
, folk
, hip hop
, and gospel
with flashes of Middle Eastern
, West African
, and Indian
ethnic styles. She has often been documented for describing her music as "Amel's music". Larrieux currently resides in New York City with her husband, Laru, and their two daughters, Sanji Rei and Sky. Her forename Amel means "hope" in Arabic
.
member Bryce Wilson
at Rondor Music. Wilson, who wanted to begin his solo career as producer and musician, was looking for a vocalist to work with. Wilson and Larrieux began to produce demos together and subsequently formed R&B/hip hop
duo Groove Theory
. Their debut release, Groove Theory
, spawned several radio hits such as "Tell Me", "Keep Tryin'", and "Baby Luv". The duo were also featured in successful motion picture soundtracks such as 1996's Sunset Park
and 1997's Love Jones. Larrieux, pursuing a solo career, would not be involved in the duo's eventually-shelved second album The Answer. Makeda Davis would step in as lead singer in 1999 until Groove Theory officially disbanded in 2001. Larrieux said of leaving the group, "You have to make a bunch of compromises and .. you know, I just couldn’t go on forever. We wanted different things and a combination of that and the label wanting different things from us just made me decide that it was time to move on."
's backing band Sweetback
, yielding the top forty-five R&B entry "You Will Rise".
Larrieux co-wrote and co-produced her debut solo album Infinite Possibilities
, released in early 2000 on Epic Records
, along with husband Laru Larrieux; the album reached number seventy-nine on the Billboard 200
and number twenty-one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
, and produced the hit "Get Up", her highest charting solo hit to date. Some tracks from the album, such as the eighth track "Down", could be described as acid jazz
, a musical genre which combines elements of jazz with soul and funk
.
Larrieux was released from Epic Records
after this CD. She says of the release "I was asked to tone it down as a solo artist, which is one of the reasons why I was really glad to leave the major label where I was signed." Husband Laru Larrieux, who had been co-writing and producing most of Amel's material, started the independent label BlissLife Records with her to distribute her music.
In 2001, Larrieux recorded "Sophisticated Lady" with artist Clark Terry
for the Red Hot Organization
's compilation album Red Hot + Indigo
, a tribute to Duke Ellington
, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS
awareness and fighting the disease.
On November 10 in 2010, Larrieux spoke about going independent, saying "This is the right time [to be independent]. People are more hip to the internet. People are more open to what independent means." She went on to say that Black independent artists are too under the radar.
Her second album Bravebird
was released under Larrieux's indie label
Blisslife Records label on January 20, 2004. While it underperformed on the Billboard 200, it peaked at number twenty-eight on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number five on Independent Albums
. It spawned the midtempo radio single "For Real", which showcases her ability to utilize the whistle register
and inspired Ebony
magazine to rave about her "ethereal high-octave vocals that bring to mind Minnie Riperton
. A portion of the album's seventh track, "Giving Something Up", could be heard in the commercial for BET
's HIV
/AIDS
awareness campaign Rap-It-Up, in which Larrieux participated in September 2003.
Larrieux's collaboration with Stanley Clarke
and Glenn Lewis
, a cover
of Roberta Flack
and Donny Hathaway
's 1972 song "Where Is the Love
" from Clarke's 2003 album 1, 2, To the Bass, received a nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Morning
Larrieux's third effort Morning
was released in April 2006 and features the single "Weary", which reached number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart in mid-2006. Morning is her highest-charting album to date, peaking at number seventy-four. Follow-up single "No One Else", written for Mike Shaunessy was featured on the soundtrack to Tyler Perry
's 2007 film Why Did I Get Married?
. The song Gills and Tails also received radio airplay.
Lovely Standards
In May 2007, Larrieux released a jazz standard
cover album entitled Lovely Standards
. It broke into the top five of the Top Jazz Albums and sold 3,700 units in its first week on store shelves.
Larrieux was featured on 2Pac
's 2007 greatest hits album Best of 2Pac Part 1: Thug, on the previously unreleased song "Resist the Temptation".
working on Groove Theory
's second official album. The duo had their first live show together in years on Oct 7, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan. Larrieux said of the show, "Tokyo was too fly, as usual. The audiences just got better and better." Larrieux said in a November 2010 interview that she and Wilson are currently looking for a label they feel comfortable with.
In March 2009, Larrieux released the songs "Orange Glow" and "Don't Let Me Down" from her forthcoming album, Ice Cream Every Day, to iTunes and other online music stores. Larrieux also contributed "Don't Let Me Down" to the Enough Project
. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo’s women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo. Larrieux said on Oct 19, 2010 that she was "dutifully" trying new things for her fifth studio album. In August 2011, Larrieux confirmed through Power Player Magazine the release date for her new album to be late January 2012. When asked about the five year delay on her fifth album, Larrieux said she wanted to add and delete more songs to perfect the final product. "I stay on the road a lot," she said. "My experiences inform me as a writer, so then I come back and I have more songs to write, and I keep adding and subtracting, so the editing process made this album take a little bit longer than I expected."
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
. Larrieux rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a founding member of the duo Groove Theory
Groove Theory
Groove Theory is an American R&B duo, with former member, singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux and songwriter/producer/actor, Bryce Wilson. The group is best known for their 1995 pop/R&B hit, "Tell Me," which reached the top five of Billboard 's Hot 100 and the US Billboard R&B chart.-Early years:The...
along with Bryce Wilson
Bryce Wilson
Bryce Wilson also formerly known as Bryce Luvah, is a record label executive/producer, actor, musician, and former emcee. He was formerly half of late 1990s contemporary R&B duo Groove Theory, and emcee/keyboardist for early 1990s dance music/electro funk/old school hip hop group Mantronix.-...
. After leaving the group in 1999, she released her debut solo album Infinite Possibilities
Infinite Possibilities
-Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*drums – Janaki*executive production – Amel Larrieux*fender rhodes – Kwamé, Amel Larrieux*keyboard bass – Amel Larrieux...
the following year on Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. In late 2003, Larrieux founded her own independent label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Blisslife Records, on which she has released three albums so far. Larrieux cites Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones is an American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and producer. Over the course of a three-decade career, Jones has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, blues, pop, soul, and jazz standards.-Childhood:...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Patrice Rushen
Patrice Rushen
Patrice Rushen is a Grammy Award-winning African American R&B and jazz vocalist, composer and pianist.-Biography:...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, and Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
as her musical influences.
Biography
Larrieux was born and raised an only childOnly child
An only child is a person with no siblings, either biological or adopted. In a family with multiple offspring, first-borns, may be briefly considered only children and have a similar early family environment, but the term only child is generally applied only to those individuals who never have...
in the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
neighborhood of Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Her African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
- Sub-Saharan mother, Brenda Dixon Gottschild, is a dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
critic, author, and college instructor. Her father is of French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, and Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
descent. Larrieux was raised in a very artistic environment and was surrounded by talented and inspirational artists. Larrieux attended Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Some of her classmates include: members of Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, jazz bassist Christian McBride
Christian McBride
Christian McBride is an American jazz bassist. His father, Lee Smith, and his great uncle, Howard Cooper, are well known Philadelphia bassists who served as McBride's early mentors...
, jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel
Kurt Rosenwinkel
Kurt Rosenwinkel is an American jazz guitarist and keyboardist who came to prominence in the 1990s.-Biography:He attended the Berklee School of Music for two and a half years before leaving in his junior year to tour with Gary Burton, the dean of the school at the time...
, jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco is an American jazz organist, trumpeter, and vocalist. Down Beat's Critics and Readers Poll selected him as the top jazz organist every year since 2003.DeFrancesco was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania...
, and The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
member Questlove. Larrieux attended the senior prom
Senior Prom
Senior Prom is a still-classified United States Air Force program to develop a stealth unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance purposes , designed to be launched from a Lockheed DC-130, B-52 Stratofortress, or B-1 Lancer.-Origin and development:The program began in the late 1970s after the...
with Questlove. Many of her influences are drawn from R&B, soul, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
with flashes of Middle Eastern
Middle Eastern music
The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...
, West African
Music of West Africa
West Africa stretches from the Sahara Desert to the Atlantic Ocean. The region's musical heritage includes a variety of popular music styles, especially from the countries of Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Sierra Leone and Nigeria...
, and Indian
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
ethnic styles. She has often been documented for describing her music as "Amel's music". Larrieux currently resides in New York City with her husband, Laru, and their two daughters, Sanji Rei and Sky. Her forename Amel means "hope" in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
.
Groove Theory
In 1991 Larrieux met MantronixMantronix
Mantronix was an influential 1980s hip hop and electro funk music group founded by DJ Kurtis Mantronik , and rapper MC Tee...
member Bryce Wilson
Bryce Wilson
Bryce Wilson also formerly known as Bryce Luvah, is a record label executive/producer, actor, musician, and former emcee. He was formerly half of late 1990s contemporary R&B duo Groove Theory, and emcee/keyboardist for early 1990s dance music/electro funk/old school hip hop group Mantronix.-...
at Rondor Music. Wilson, who wanted to begin his solo career as producer and musician, was looking for a vocalist to work with. Wilson and Larrieux began to produce demos together and subsequently formed R&B/hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
duo Groove Theory
Groove Theory
Groove Theory is an American R&B duo, with former member, singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux and songwriter/producer/actor, Bryce Wilson. The group is best known for their 1995 pop/R&B hit, "Tell Me," which reached the top five of Billboard 's Hot 100 and the US Billboard R&B chart.-Early years:The...
. Their debut release, Groove Theory
Groove Theory (album)
-Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*a&r – Paris Davis*art direction – Carol Chen*bass – Darryl Brown, Eric "Ebo" Butler, Kirk Lyons*design – Sean Evans*drums – Ralph Rolle...
, spawned several radio hits such as "Tell Me", "Keep Tryin'", and "Baby Luv". The duo were also featured in successful motion picture soundtracks such as 1996's Sunset Park
Sunset Park (soundtrack)
- Tracks :#High 'Til I Die - 2Pac#Motherless Child - Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon#Just Doggin - Tha Dogg Pound#Back at You - Mobb Deep#Are You Ready - Aaliyah#It's Alright - Groove Theory...
and 1997's Love Jones. Larrieux, pursuing a solo career, would not be involved in the duo's eventually-shelved second album The Answer. Makeda Davis would step in as lead singer in 1999 until Groove Theory officially disbanded in 2001. Larrieux said of leaving the group, "You have to make a bunch of compromises and .. you know, I just couldn’t go on forever. We wanted different things and a combination of that and the label wanting different things from us just made me decide that it was time to move on."
Early Solo Career
In 1996, Larrieux guested on the self-titled debut album of SadeSade (band)
Sade is a British smooth jazz band that formed in 1983, named for Nigerian lead singer Sade Adu. Their music features elements of R&B, soul, jazz, and soft rock....
's backing band Sweetback
Sweetback (band)
Sweetback is an English musical group, made up of members of the band Sade, but not including the lead singer Sade Adu herself. They are a jazz/funk band with R&B overtones. Stuart Matthewman, Paul Spencer Denman and Andrew Hale had been recording with female vocalist Sade Adu since 1984. The group...
, yielding the top forty-five R&B entry "You Will Rise".
Larrieux co-wrote and co-produced her debut solo album Infinite Possibilities
Infinite Possibilities
-Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*drums – Janaki*executive production – Amel Larrieux*fender rhodes – Kwamé, Amel Larrieux*keyboard bass – Amel Larrieux...
, released in early 2000 on Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, along with husband Laru Larrieux; the album reached number seventy-nine on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and number twenty-one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
, and produced the hit "Get Up", her highest charting solo hit to date. Some tracks from the album, such as the eighth track "Down", could be described as acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
, a musical genre which combines elements of jazz with soul and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
.
Larrieux was released from Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
after this CD. She says of the release "I was asked to tone it down as a solo artist, which is one of the reasons why I was really glad to leave the major label where I was signed." Husband Laru Larrieux, who had been co-writing and producing most of Amel's material, started the independent label BlissLife Records with her to distribute her music.
In 2001, Larrieux recorded "Sophisticated Lady" with artist Clark Terry
Clark Terry
Clark Terry is an American swing and bop trumpeter, a pioneer of the fluegelhorn in jazz, educator, NEA Jazz Masters inductee, and recipient of the 2010 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award...
for the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
's compilation album Red Hot + Indigo
Red Hot + Indigo
Red Hot + Indigo is the 13th entry from the Red Hot AIDS benefit series of compilation albums produced by Paul Heck. It marks the tenth anniversary of the Red Hot Organization , an international organization which uses mass media as a fundraising tool for its efforts at increasing public AIDS...
, a tribute to Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
awareness and fighting the disease.
On November 10 in 2010, Larrieux spoke about going independent, saying "This is the right time [to be independent]. People are more hip to the internet. People are more open to what independent means." She went on to say that Black independent artists are too under the radar.
Independent Releases
BravebirdHer second album Bravebird
Bravebird
Bravebird is the second studio album by American R&B-soul singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux, released in the United States on January 20, 2004 by her independent label Blisslife Records...
was released under Larrieux's indie label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Blisslife Records label on January 20, 2004. While it underperformed on the Billboard 200, it peaked at number twenty-eight on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number five on Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
. It spawned the midtempo radio single "For Real", which showcases her ability to utilize the whistle register
Whistle register
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
and inspired Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
magazine to rave about her "ethereal high-octave vocals that bring to mind Minnie Riperton
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
. A portion of the album's seventh track, "Giving Something Up", could be heard in the commercial for BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
awareness campaign Rap-It-Up, in which Larrieux participated in September 2003.
Larrieux's collaboration with Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
and Glenn Lewis
Glenn Lewis
Glenn Lewis is a Canadian R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter. Originally planning to pursue a career in animation as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. His father was a member of the musical group Crack of Dawn...
, a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
and Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
's 1972 song "Where Is the Love
Where Is the Love (Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway song)
"Where Is the Love" is a popular song written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter, and recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Released in 1972 from their album, Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and spent a week each at number...
" from Clarke's 2003 album 1, 2, To the Bass, received a nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances...
at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Morning
Larrieux's third effort Morning
Morning (Amel Larrieux album)
Morning is the third studio album by American R&B-soul singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux, released in the United States on April 25, 2006. Larrieux's second album released on her own independent label, Blisslife Records, it peaked at number seventy-four on the Billboard 200 and number eight on the...
was released in April 2006 and features the single "Weary", which reached number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart in mid-2006. Morning is her highest-charting album to date, peaking at number seventy-four. Follow-up single "No One Else", written for Mike Shaunessy was featured on the soundtrack to Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright, entrepreneur, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman...
's 2007 film Why Did I Get Married?
Why Did I Get Married?
Why Did I Get Married? is a 2007 comedy-drama film adaptation written, produced, directed, and starring Tyler Perry, which was inspired by the play of the same name. The film stars Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Richard T. Jones, and Keesha Sharp...
. The song Gills and Tails also received radio airplay.
Lovely Standards
In May 2007, Larrieux released a jazz standard
Jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...
cover album entitled Lovely Standards
Lovely Standards
Lovely Standards is the fourth studio album by American R&B-soul singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux, released in the United States on May 22, 2007 by Blisslife Records...
. It broke into the top five of the Top Jazz Albums and sold 3,700 units in its first week on store shelves.
Larrieux was featured on 2Pac
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
's 2007 greatest hits album Best of 2Pac Part 1: Thug, on the previously unreleased song "Resist the Temptation".
Recent career
On February 4, 2010, SoulSummer.com announced that Larrieux is currently in the studio with Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson
Bryce Wilson also formerly known as Bryce Luvah, is a record label executive/producer, actor, musician, and former emcee. He was formerly half of late 1990s contemporary R&B duo Groove Theory, and emcee/keyboardist for early 1990s dance music/electro funk/old school hip hop group Mantronix.-...
working on Groove Theory
Groove Theory
Groove Theory is an American R&B duo, with former member, singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux and songwriter/producer/actor, Bryce Wilson. The group is best known for their 1995 pop/R&B hit, "Tell Me," which reached the top five of Billboard 's Hot 100 and the US Billboard R&B chart.-Early years:The...
's second official album. The duo had their first live show together in years on Oct 7, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan. Larrieux said of the show, "Tokyo was too fly, as usual. The audiences just got better and better." Larrieux said in a November 2010 interview that she and Wilson are currently looking for a label they feel comfortable with.
In March 2009, Larrieux released the songs "Orange Glow" and "Don't Let Me Down" from her forthcoming album, Ice Cream Every Day, to iTunes and other online music stores. Larrieux also contributed "Don't Let Me Down" to the Enough Project
Enough Project
Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress , based in Washington, D.C., created to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Its Co-Founders are John Prendergast and Gayle Smith; its Executive Director is John C. Bradshaw, J.D....
. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo’s women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo. Larrieux said on Oct 19, 2010 that she was "dutifully" trying new things for her fifth studio album. In August 2011, Larrieux confirmed through Power Player Magazine the release date for her new album to be late January 2012. When asked about the five year delay on her fifth album, Larrieux said she wanted to add and delete more songs to perfect the final product. "I stay on the road a lot," she said. "My experiences inform me as a writer, so then I come back and I have more songs to write, and I keep adding and subtracting, so the editing process made this album take a little bit longer than I expected."
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
U.S. jazz | U.S. indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
||
| 2000 | Infinite Possibilities Infinite Possibilities -Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*drums – Janaki*executive production – Amel Larrieux*fender rhodes – Kwamé, Amel Larrieux*keyboard bass – Amel Larrieux... |
79 | 21 | — | — |
| 2004 | Bravebird Bravebird Bravebird is the second studio album by American R&B-soul singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux, released in the United States on January 20, 2004 by her independent label Blisslife Records... |
166 | 28 | — | 5 |
| 2006 | Morning Morning (Amel Larrieux album) Morning is the third studio album by American R&B-soul singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux, released in the United States on April 25, 2006. Larrieux's second album released on her own independent label, Blisslife Records, it peaked at number seventy-four on the Billboard 200 and number eight on the... |
74 | 8 | — | 5 |
| 2007 | Lovely Standards Lovely Standards Lovely Standards is the fourth studio album by American R&B-soul singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux, released in the United States on May 22, 2007 by Blisslife Records... |
195 | 32 | 3 | 22 |
| 2012 | Ice Cream Every Day | - | - | - | - |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
|||
| 1996 | "You Will Rise" (Sweetback Sweetback (band) Sweetback is an English musical group, made up of members of the band Sade, but not including the lead singer Sade Adu herself. They are a jazz/funk band with R&B overtones. Stuart Matthewman, Paul Spencer Denman and Andrew Hale had been recording with female vocalist Sade Adu since 1984. The group... featuring Amel Larrieux) |
112 | 42 | Sweetback |
| 1999 | "Get Up" | 97 | 37 | Infinite Possibilities |
| 2000 | "Sweet Misery" | — | 81 | |
| "I N I" | — | — | ||
| "Make Me Whole" | — | — | ||
| "Now You Know Better" (Mondo Grosso Mondo Grosso Shinichi Osawa , also known as Mondo Grosso, is an artist currently signed onto Avex Trax's "Rhythm Zone" label. Previously he was signed to Sony Music Japan's FEARLESS RECORDS division and released albums under the title of 'Mondo Grosso', which is Italian for "big world". He was born on February... featuring Amel Larrieux) |
— | — | MG4 | |
| 2001 | "Glitches (The Skin You're In)" (with The Roots The Roots The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals... ) |
— | — | Down to Earth Down to Earth (2001 film) Down to Earth is a 2001 comedy film directed by Chris and Paul Weitz. It is the third film adaptation based on Harry Segall's stageplay Heaven Can Wait, preceded by Here Comes Mr. Jordan and Heaven Can Wait . The film stars Chris Rock as Lance Barton, a comedian who is killed before his time on... soundtrack |
| 2004 | "For Real" | — | 45 | Bravebird |
| "We Can Be New" | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "Weary" | — | 113 | Morning |
| 2007 | "If I Were a Bell If I Were a Bell "If I Were a Bell" is a song composed by Frank Loesser for his 1950 musical Guys and Dolls.-Guys and Dolls:In the show Guys and Dolls, it is sung by the character Sister Sarah, originally performed by Isabel Bigley on Broadway, and memorialized on the original cast album. On a bet, Sky Masterson... " |
— | — | Lovely Standards |
| "No One Else" | — | — | Why Did I Get Married? Why Did I Get Married? Why Did I Get Married? is a 2007 comedy-drama film adaptation written, produced, directed, and starring Tyler Perry, which was inspired by the play of the same name. The film stars Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Richard T. Jones, and Keesha Sharp... soundtrack |
|
| 2009 | "Orange Glow" | — | — | Ice Cream Every Day |
| "Don't Let Me Down" | — | — | Raise Hope for Congo |
Album appearances
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Time After Time" (Towa Tei Towa Tei is a DJ, artist and record producer in Yokahoma, Japan.Tōwa debuted as a member of Deee-Lite, from the U.S. label Elektra Records in 1990, and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart"... featuring Amel Larrieux and Viv) |
Sound Museum Sound Museum Sound Museum is the second solo album from Japanese electronic musician Towa Tei, released in 1998.Similar to his debut album Future Listening!, Sound Museum incorporates a variety of musical genres, including electronic, hip-hop and jazz. Also included is a bossa nova cover version of Daryl Hall... |
| 2000 | "Guidance" (Guru Guru (rapper) Keith Edward Elam , better known by his stage name Guru, was an American emcee and member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts... featuring Amel Larrieux) |
Streetsoul Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul is the third entry in the Jazzmatazz series from Guru of Gang Starr.-Synopsis:As the title seems to suggest, this volume featured a blend of Soul with R&B. The decline in Jazz inflections that made Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 popular continued on this release Guru's... |
| 2001 | "Believe in Love" | Epic Records: A Season of Soul and Sounds |
| 2002 | "I Don't Know" (Soulive Soulive Soulive is a funk/jazz trio that originated in Woodstock, New York, and is known for its solos and catchy, upbeat songs. The band consists of Eric Krasno , Alan Evans , Neal Evans... featuring Amel Larrieux) |
Next Next (Soulive album) Next is an album by Soulive that was released on March 12, 2002. It was produced by Jeff Krasno. Next brought a new chapter into the history of Soulive, and it marked the first time that the band toured as a quartet . Next built upon the success of the previous year's release, Doin' Something, with... |
| 2003 | "Where Is the Love Where Is the Love (Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway song) "Where Is the Love" is a popular song written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter, and recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Released in 1972 from their album, Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and spent a week each at number... " (Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores... featuring Glenn Lewis Glenn Lewis Glenn Lewis is a Canadian R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter. Originally planning to pursue a career in animation as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. His father was a member of the musical group Crack of Dawn... and Amel Larrieux) |
1, 2, To the Bass |
| 2007 | "Resist the Temptation" (2Pac Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world... featuring Amel Larrieux) |
Best of 2Pac Part 1: Thug |
Soundtracks
| Year | Song | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Glitches (The Skin You're In)" (with The Roots The Roots The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals... ) |
Down to Earth Down to Earth (2001 film) Down to Earth is a 2001 comedy film directed by Chris and Paul Weitz. It is the third film adaptation based on Harry Segall's stageplay Heaven Can Wait, preceded by Here Comes Mr. Jordan and Heaven Can Wait . The film stars Chris Rock as Lance Barton, a comedian who is killed before his time on... |
| 2002 | "What's Come Over Me?" (with Glenn Lewis Glenn Lewis Glenn Lewis is a Canadian R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter. Originally planning to pursue a career in animation as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. His father was a member of the musical group Crack of Dawn... ) |
Barbershop Barbershop (film) Barbershop is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Tim Story, produced by State Street Pictures and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on September 13, 2002. Starring Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, and Anthony Anderson, the movie revolves around social life in a barbershop on the South Side of... |
| 2007 | "No One Else" | Why Did I Get Married? Why Did I Get Married? Why Did I Get Married? is a 2007 comedy-drama film adaptation written, produced, directed, and starring Tyler Perry, which was inspired by the play of the same name. The film stars Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Richard T. Jones, and Keesha Sharp... |
Videos
- 1996: "You Will Rise" (SweetbackSweetback (band)Sweetback is an English musical group, made up of members of the band Sade, but not including the lead singer Sade Adu herself. They are a jazz/funk band with R&B overtones. Stuart Matthewman, Paul Spencer Denman and Andrew Hale had been recording with female vocalist Sade Adu since 1984. The group...
featuring Amel Larrieux) — directed by Polish Brothers - 1999: "Get Up" — directed by Floria SigismondiFloria SigismondiFloria Sigismondi is an Italian, naturalised Canadian, photographer and director.Apart from her art exhibitions, she is best known for writing and directing The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning...
- 2000: "Sweet Misery" — directed by Earle Sebastian
- 2001: "Glitches (The Skin You're In)" (The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
featuring Amel Larrieux) — directed by Nzingha Stewart - 2004: "For Real" — directed by Sanaa HamriSanaa HamriSanaa Hamri is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors of color.-Early life and breakthrough:...
- 2006: "Weary" — directed by Jon Menefee and 8 Hertz