Teena Marie  -  Congo Square

When a lady has thrived at the epicenter of a musical movement that some initially claimed was not her birthright, and that lady has steadfastly held that legacy down strong for 30 phenomenal years, acknowledgment, respect and celebration are in order. Today, that artist is “Lady Tee,” Teena Marie.

2009 marks the 30th (pearl) anniversary of Teena Marie’s recording career with the June release of her thirteenth CD, Congo Square – and there’s a milestone for every decade that has led to it. First is the 16-song CD itself, boasting all of the panoramic musicality a fan could desire. Second is her fresh alignment with Stax Records that –after her storied Motown debut in 1979 – marks the second time Teena has been proudly affiliated with a bedrock black music institution. Finally, there’s a more personal revelation regarding her family lineage that once and for all proves why she has been bursting with indisputable soul all these years. Teena has New Orleans roots!

Congo Square is a passionate, accessible and, as always, autobiographical adventure that cruises smoothly from southern soul and smoky jazz to dance floor funk. Along for the party are special guests Faith Evans (on the first single “Can’t Last a Day”), Howard Hewett (on the steamy duet “Lovers Lane”), MC Lyte (on the sexy opener “The Pressure”), the jazz trio of pianist George Duke (on the title track “Congo Square”), drummer/co-composer Terri Lyne Carrington and bassist Brian Bromberg (on the cinematic ballad “The Rose n’ Thorn,” orchestrated by the legendary Paul Riser), and Teena’s daughter Rose LeBeau (on the soul salute “Milk n’ Honey”).

“I’ve been through quite a few trials and tribulations over the last two years,” Teena shares regarding the time between her last acclaimed release, Sapphire, and now. “I spent many of those hours in prayer and felt like God was putting his arms around me. I started thinking about the music I grew up on - how inspired it was. Each song I wrote began to sound like the style of some favorite artist of mine from the past...  ‘What U Got 4 Me’ is a combination of Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye, ‘You Baby’ is inspired by the old Chicago soul of The Emotions (originally Stax artists in the `70s) and the new Chicago vibe of Kanye West… ‘Baby I Love You’ is my cruising down Crenshaw with Ice Cube bumpin’ in the trunk vibe, while ‘The Pressure’ reminds me of the kinds of things I used to do with Rick.” That would be Rick James, the undisputed king of Punk Funk and epic balladry who produced Teena’s debut record, Wild & Peaceful, consummating a relationship that would take many shapes until his passing in 2004

Recalling that intense, emotional relationship allowed Teena to tap into the deeply personal ballad, “Marry Me,” Congo Square’s centerpiece. With its soulful, straightforward, southern eloquence and emotive strings that the late great Isaac Hayes would have adored, “Marry Me” is also the composition that is most like a classic slice of Stax. “That’s my ode to Aretha,” Teena says, “…all the bluesy stuff she did in her young-young years like ‘Ain’t No Way.’ I have fond memories of ridin’ around Buffalo with Rick listening to all her early music and singing to it on days off from the road. Without being preachy, I’ve observed several couples that have been together for years – with their kids all around them – but they still haven’t walked down the aisle. It’s probably the most bluesy soul song I’ve ever done. I had to have an anointed genius on this music so I flew Paul Riser in from Detroit to arrange and conduct the strings. During the session, I saw grown men and women cry…I’m talking heavyweight philharmonic players who’ve heard everything. The harpist had just done Streisand the night before.”

Teena songs morph in styles from sassy (the flirtatious “Ear Candy 101”) and sexy (the Bourbon Street jazz fantasy “Harlem Blue”) to sublime (“Ms. Coretta,” about the woman who stood by her man, Martin). “I have so much respect for that woman,” Teena says softly. “It’s documented that Martin said he wanted a woman with character, intelligence, personality and beauty – so we went deep on this one. I found a spoken passage of Coretta’s on the Internet from a speech she gave when Martin’s birthday became a national holiday. And the bell you hear is a sample of the Normandy Bell – the French replica of the Liberty Bell.” Congo Square’s first single “Can’t Last a Day” is a modern spin on Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International sound and pairs Teena with the sensational Faith Evans. “If you really listen to the lyrics,” Teena shares, “it transcends a typical love song:

If the sun in the sky disappear from view / And the love in my heart baby wasn’t true / If the rivers and seas all just up and dry / And the moon pass away from the deep blue sky / If I lost all my faith in a higher power / Tell me where would I be in the final hour / I’d be losing my way baby I’d be through / Cuz I can’t last a day honey without you

It’s about that mystical, joined-through-God kind of love...I’m talking about people being together until the end of time! I think we're really missing that level of love today.” Reflecting on her hook-up with Faith, Teena continues, “It was AFTER I recorded the song that I got the idea to put Faith on. I’ve always loved her vocal style. She reminds me of me. Her correlation with Biggie – having a career with him and without him – reminds me of me and Rick. We know each other through mutual friends. I called her up and she was really excited to do it. When I play the song for younger people especially, they seem really thrilled to hear us together…just the idea of it.”

TEENA MARIE

Career Bullet Points

• Protégée of the late funk legend Rick James
• Proficient in Rhythm Guitar
• Has written, produced, sung and arranged virtually all of her songs since 1980
• Was initially signed to Motown as a backup singer in 1976
• Teena created The Teena Marie Law (formally called The Brockert Initiative) while getting out of her contract at Motown, which states (the law) that a label cannot keep an artist under contract without putting out an album by him or her.
• Was a pioneer in helping bring hip-hop to the mainstream by becoming one of the first and only artists of her time to rhyme on one of her singles “Square Biz”.
• In 1996, the Fugees paid tribute to Teena by interpolating the chorus of her 1988 hit “Ooo, La, La, La” on their hit song “Fu-Gee-La”.
• 2004 Teena signed with hip-hop label Cash Money
• 2005 Teena received her only nomination for a Grammy for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance for “I’m Still In Love”
• September 9, 2008 Teena was honored with an Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation.

Albums

• 1979: Wild and Peaceful (Gordy/Motown/MCA) - US Pop #94, R&B #18 – Rick James wrote and produced this debut album
• 1980: Lady T (Motown/MCA) – US Pop #45, R&B #18 - The song “Too Many Colors” featured Minnie Riperton’s, then 7 yr old daughter, comedian and actress Maya Rudolph (Sat. Night Live fame) Album produced by Teena Marie and co-produced by Richard Rudolph
• 1980: Irons in the Fire (Motown/MCA) - US Pop #38, R&B #9 , produced by Teena Marie
• 1981: It Must be Magic (Motown/MCA) – US Pop #23, R&B #2 – Gold certified – this same year Rick James released their duet “Fire and Desire” from his album Street Songs
• 1983: Robbery (Epic/CBS) - US Pop #119, R&B #13, included the song “Casanova Brown” which allegedly about her real-life romance with mentor Rick James
• 1984: Starchild (Epic/CBS) - US Pop #31, R&B #9, her biggest selling album
• 1986: Emerald City (Epic/CBS) - US Pop #81, R&B #20 – her rock & roll concept album
• 1987: Naked to the World (Epic/CBS) – US Pop #65, R&B #15
• 1990: Ivory (Epic/CBS) - US Pop #132, R&B #27 – Epic and Teena Marie mutually agreed to go their separate ways after the release of this album
• 1994: Passion Play (Sarai) – released on her own independent label