Pique-nique presents Melanie Charles & Nikara Warren reinterpreting Brandy’s landmark 1998 album Never Say Never. Part of the Take Two deep-listening series, the evening begins with an uninterrupted playback of the original record followed by a live reimagining, reshaping its harmonies and melodies through jazz improvisation.
Brooklyn-born vocalist, flutist, and composer Melanie Charles has built a career across jazz, soul, and R&B, working with artists from Wynton Marsalis to SZA, Gorillaz, and The Roots. Growing up on Brandy, the "Vocal Bible" for a generation of singers, the influence of those stacked harmonies still runs through her sound. Vibraphonist and composer Nikara Warren, whose work bridges jazz tradition and contemporary improvisation, joins to reshape Darkchild's sleek late-'90s production into an intimate setting where the album's harmonies are opened up for improvisation. Together, in the spirit of Melanie's mission to “Make Jazz Trill Again”, they treat Never Say Never not as nostalgia but as a timeless record that still has somewhere new to go.
The evening opens with a special DJ set from quinnette, nodding to the late-'90s and early-2000s R&B era that Never Say Never helped define.
Make a reservation before your show: http://bit.ly/4loDjTg. Adjacent to The Sound Room, The Atrium at Public Records is a plant-based restaurant + cocktail bar serving a globally-inspired collection of dishes, operating Wed–Sat 6–11 pm and Sat–Sun 11–3 pm....
This is a 21+ event.
Presented by Public Records.
Doors + DJ set by quinnette @ 7pm
Event begins @ 7:45pm
Album playback @ 8pm
Performance @ 9pm
End @ 10pm