Old to the New
Renee Neufville with her parents after the BAMcafé show (9.14.07)
Renee Neufville, the dark skinned half of nineties R&B duo Zhané, looks to be launching a comeback (as is her light skinned counterpart Jean Baylor). After a successful spell with the Roy Hargrove soul/funk outfit, RH Factor, Neufville has been hard at work on new material, which she debuted at at free show last Friday in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
Neufville, still lithe and youthful, now sports a shaggy black wig that detracts from her strong features where her cropped cut of old enhanced. She sang saccharine ballads and standards, at her best infusing them with a rollicking West Indian sensibility, to the audible delight of the otherwise quiet assemblage of friends and fans (including latecomer Me'Shell NdegeOcello sitting crosslegged on the floor) at BAMcafé. Neufville confessed to never rehearsing with her band and uncomfortably scatted rhythms to her drummer, melodies to her piano man and runs of notes to her horn players, even sharply cutting off her back up singers with stern draws of the hand when displeased with a backing vocal. Money may have been an object as it was a free show but the overall effect was sloppy and not ideal for many eager fans first look at the would be solo star. Neufville bursts with charisma and her voice is as comely as ever but one would like to see a tighter, more professional show as she prepares to release her solo debut this fall or early 2008.
And Neufville's exploits bring to mind Zhané's debut, Pronounced Ja-Nay. What better time to dig up the great and balanced R&B album. It has aged quite well.
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