D'Angelo, Macy Gray, Michael Franti, Me'Shell Ndegeocello and Femi Kuti have begun laying down tracks for the forthcoming Red Hot + Riot compilation, a tribute to African music icon Fela Kuti, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1997. The album will raise money to fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa. While the album, Red Hot's fourteenth such benefit, is still in its formative stages, D'Angelo, Gray, Nile Rodgers and Roots' drummer ?uestlove are slated to cover Kuti's "Water Get No Enemy," while Ndegeocello and Franti will pair up for "Gentlemen."
Prior to Ret Hot + Riot, tentatively slated for release this fall, Red Hot will release the Duke Ellington homage, Red Hot + Indigo, the fourth in its series honoring the twentieth century's greatest songwriters and music (the first three being the Cole Porter tribute Red Hot + Blue, the Bossa Nova tribute Red Hot + Rio and the George Gershwin tribute Red Hot + Rhapsody). Among those tracks on the Indigo album are Mary J. Blige doing "Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me," the Roots doing "Caravan," Tortoise doing "Didjeridoo" and the Propellerheads with Martha Wainwright doing "Star Crossed Lovers."
The Indigo album will be released March 13th exclusively via Amazon.com. Red Hot reps say it will be at least six months if not longer before the album is shipped to traditional retail outlets.
In addition to the Riot and Indigo albums, the Red Hot Organization, in celebration of its tenth anniversary, is also mining the vaults for rare goodies from the host of charity records it's put out. Via Amazon.com's free downloads area, they've issued hitherto unheard jewels like Shelby Lynne's rendition of "Amazing Grace," George Michael's remix of his own "Too Funky" (dubbed "Too Jazzy") and Levon Helm's reworking of the Band's "The Weight." Avid Wilco fans should note the site has also posted their cover of Jimmie Rodgers' "The T.B. Is Whipping Me," a collaboration with Syd Straw from 1994's out-of-print Red Hot + Country.
In conjunction with Rolling Stone photographer Mark Seliger, Red Hot will be auctioning off all manner of memorabilia via Amazon. Starting now and running through April 11th, charity-minded collectors can log onto the auction site (www.amazon.com/music-redhot) and lay down bids on fifty exclusive copies of Seliger's Physiognomy photo retrospective book featuring autographed pics from the likes Drew Barrymore, Jerry Seinfeld, Marilyn Manson, Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, R.E.M. and Lenny Kravitz.
Since its inception in 1991, the Red Hot Organization has raised over $10 million for AIDS prevention, research and relief around the world.
GREG HELLER
(March 1, 2001)