Canku Ota
	(Many Paths)
	An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
	August 10, 2002 - Issue 67
	Martha Redbone
	by Martha Redbone.com
	credits: Photography by Phillip Jarrel

Nominated for four Native American Music Awards, singer/songwriter Martha Redbone has been described by Billboard Magazine's Larry Flick as "a true original; the kind of artist who sets trends, as opposed to following them". She grew up in New York and Kentucky. An unlikely combination that you can hear in her flow: the staccato melodies of the city, mixed with the easy, wide-open praise song of a country choir. Martha Redbone was mentored by legendary musician, Walter 'Junie' Morrison, who was an original member of the Ohio Players and later, Parliament Funkadelic. Now a kid sister to the funk, she even sang backup vocals on the Mothership reunion album with George Clinton. Her debut CD "Home of the Brave" is summed up by Billboard in one word... "stunning". Her music is a diagram of American dream; infused with folksy guitar strum, Hendrix swagger and earthy, Stevie Wonder-esque funk. It.sounds like music that was cooked up at a dinner party where the guests included Sly Stone and Prince, Minnie Riperton and Al Green. This album doesn't mince words or pull punches, it's everything -- angry, painful, funny, smart, romantic, playful -- that's in Martha's heart. Her lyrics, her beats, the soulful, sassy timber of her voice... are intimate treasures to unfold. MARTHA REDBONE – singer/songwriter/producer/artist. Every once in a while, you meet a woman of inimitable style. The kind of woman for whom clothes are less a statement than an artist's palette. The kind of woman whose best accessory is her smile. Martha Redbone is that kind of woman. Every once in a while, you hear a voice you can't forget. It's the angel whispering in your ear at the moment when you are most discouraged. It's the bird's song that flits by you, the moment when you realize that despite all your doubts and cynicism, you've once again fallen in love. It's the throaty, Bacall-like purr that is telling a very dirty, albeit very clever, joke next to you in your favorite bar. Martha Redbone has that kind of a voice. It's not often that you hear music that sounds like it was crafted not in a studio, but at the dinner table. Music that was cooked up at a dinner party where the guests included Sly Stone and Prince, Roberta Flack and Al Green. The kind of party where Joni Mitchell stops in for a cocktail and Minnie Riperton goes straight for the dessert, something sweet. Martha Redbone makes that kind of music: not what soul music was or is, but what it will be. Martha Redbone grew up in New York and Kentucky. An unlikely combination that you can hear in her flow: the staccato melodies of the city, mixed with the easy, wide-open praise song of a country choir. A body in motion tends to stay in motion and it's been nonstop ever since. Martha Redbone was mentored by legendary musician, Walter 'Junie' Morrison, who was an original member of the Ohio Players and later, Parliament Funkadelic. Now a sister to the funk, she sang background vocals on the Mothership reunion album with George Clinton. In the immortal words of Tribe Called Quest, can Martha Redbone kick it? Yes, she can!! Her lyrics capture, like fireflies in a jar, the bright moments in life that we're often too busy to notice. Martha Redbone decided to title the album after the last line of the national anthem, "land of the free and home of the brave." Brave was a reference to Native Americans. But while the founding fathers called America, 'home of the brave', for more than 200 years, it was anything but. "It's a hard thing to do these days, to follow what you believe in," she says. "When you do that, then you become brave. Your body becomes more than a body. It becomes a home of the brave." There's joy in Martha's music, but there's a ferocious quality to the music, as well. Songs like "Vineyard" and "Perfect Life" resonate with the conscious-raising, spirit-lifting melodies and lyrics of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" While tunes like "Underdog" explores the sweet and bitter hand that life deals us and how we shuffle between dreams, luck and fate. That kind of openness is what this album is all about. This album doesn't mince words or pull punches, it's everything -- angry, painful, funny, smart, romantic, playful -- that's in Martha's heart. In the lyrics, in the beats, in the soulful, sassy timber of her voice -- there are treasures to unfold. Go ahead and drop in on the Home of the Brave. Someone very special is waiting at home. -Veronica Chambers All of the songs on her debut album HOME OF THE BRAVE were written and produced by Martha with longtime writing partner Aaron Whitby. Working with an amazing NY band featuring players like Alan ‘AB’ Burroughs (Miles Davis), Jonathan Maron (Maxwell) and others. Martha has earned respect from some of the finest musicians on the NYC scene. With co-producer Aaron Whitby, and engineers Joe Quinde (Jay-Z) and Tom Cassel (Notorious BIG) Martha has created the perfect marriage of song, music and beats to support her incredible voice - soaring, vulnerable, spirited. This girl is brave, new, strong… and free as a bird. Check it out.

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