Zhane – Sending My Love
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Zhané (pronounced Jah-Nay) Given a high-profile spot on the all-star compilation Roll Wit tha Flava as their first recording opportunity, Zhané lived up to the pressure and came away with one of the hip-hop party anthems of all time, “Hey, Mr. D.J.” Jean Norris and Renee Neufville initially met while both were studying music at Philadelphia’s Temple University (Norris is originally from Rhode Island, Neufville from Jamaica). After meeting Naughty by Nature member Kay Gee, Zhané impressed the producer enough to go right into the studio to record for Roll Wit tha Flava. When “Hey, Mr. D.J.” was released as a separate single as well, it hit number six on the pop charts and earned the group a contract with Motown in 1994. Their debut album, Pronounced Jah-Nay, produced two further Top 40 hits (“Groove Thang,” “Sending My Love”) and went gold by the end of the year; it achieved Platinum status 2 years later. Zhané kept busy during 1995-1996 with spots on tracks by Busta Rhymes and De La Soul as well as new songs of their own on the NFL Jams and NBA 50th Anniversary compilations and the soundtracks to Higher Learning and A Low Down Dirty Shame — the latter, “Shame,” became their fourth Top 40 hit. Norris and Neufville released the follow up album Saturday Night in 1997, co-produced by Kay Gee, Eddie F., and themselves. The release featured the hit single “Request Line.” A remix with different lyrics and raps by Queen Latifah followed. It peaked just outside the Top 40. Since the group’s dissolution, Jean Baylor released the independent solo album Testimony: My Life. Renee Neufville became involved in Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor project. |
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Most urban/pop music fans know Renee Neufville, as the statuesque co-founder of the platinum selling duo ZHANE, which rocketed to stardom over a decade ago with a string of Top 5 pop gems (“Hey Mr. D.J., “Groove Thing,” “Sending My Love,”). However, more attuned aficionado’s know she’s been cutting her teeth for the past several years touring the world as a featured |
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| singer/keyboard player with legendary Roy Hargrove and his funky jazz unit, RH FACTOR, while also intermittingly performing with her own band, and writing material for her first solo recording project. “Everything happens when it’s supposed to,” infused Neufville. I’ve felt very fortunate to be a part of Roy’s RH Factor, and to experience so much growth, both artistically and musically,” she added. “It’s been the perfect segue to help formulate and develop the wide spectrum of music that I’ve been writing for my debut solo project.” Since hooking up with the RH Factor, Neufville has cultivated an entirely new audience performing at most of the major international jazz festivals around the world, from Monterey to the Playboy Jazz Festival to North Sea, Montreux, and performing as far away as Russia and Lithuania. In addition, Neufville has also collaborated with Hargrove as songwriter/composer and is a featured singer and keyboard player on Hargrove’s latest CD, “Distractions” (Verve). Prior to joining Hargrove, Neufville kept busy as songwriter, musician, performer, and hosted a live web cast series, “Soul 88,” (2000) that featured among others, recording stars, Jill Scott, Carl Thomas, Kelis and Joe. She also contributed to recordings and videos by India.Arie, Will Downing, Heather Headley, Leela James, Aaliyah, and Kindred. In the interim, she put together her first band, and began packing several noted clubs in New York such as SOB’s and the Jazz Gallery. Neufville, a native of Jamaica, was raised in Brooklyn, and attended Temple University in Philadelphia where she formed Zhane with Jean Norris. The tandem were signed by Motown records and burst into the national spotlight with their mega dance/pop/urban hit, “Hey Mr. D.J.” After a succession of hit singles, two platinum selling albums, and a string of high profile performances including several national tour dates opening for Maxwell, the duo parted ways during the recording of what would have been their third album. Neufville has since proven she has a musical pedigree that has no boundaries, and she promises her first solo recording venture, titled “Sovereign,” will fuse a myriad of musical genres, from R & B, pop, jazz, hip hop, and dance hall, into a homogenous and intoxicating blend. But what may be viewed as categories for the rest of us – is simply MUSIC to Renee Neufville. So it’s probably futile to try to categorize Neufville’s genre-free approach to the songs and melodies she writes, or to describe the range of her vocal prowess. Maybe the best compliment to Neufville’s chameleon persona and diverse talents came from a European critic after seeing her perform with the RH Factor, “Renee IS the genre – “Viva Genre Renee!” MySpace Profile | ||
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Jean Baylor, formerly of Zhané, returns with her first solo effort, Testimony: my life story. As one-half of the duo that gave us some of the most memorable R&B hits of the nineties, Baylor experienced enormous success with smash hits including “Hey Mr. DJ,” “Groove Thang,” and “Sending My Love.” |
| Now with an incredible new body of work and a voice that seemed to only get better with time, Jean comes into her own, delivering a compassionate anthology filled with hope, inspiration and gratitude. This album is a compelling collection of songs remarkably blended in elements of hip-hop, pop and R&B/Soul. Testimony: my life story is a personal soundtrack of Baylor’s life that takes you through her journeys of love, pain and spiritual growth. Simply put…Jean brings a sincere tenderness to music that is not only refreshing…but powerful. With her purpose at heart and music in hand, this album is sure to be one of the highest regarded R&B albums of the year. | |
