Weldon Irvine

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Weldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr. (October 27, 1943 – April 9, 2002), also known Master Wel,[1] was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist and organist.

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[edit] Biography

Irvine, an African American, was born in Hampton, Virginia on October 27, 1943. He moved to New York City in 1965.[2] He was involved with various musical genres including jazz, hip hop, funk, rhythm and blues, and gospel.[1] He served as the bandleader for jazz singer Nina Simone and was a mentor to many New York hip-hop artists, including Q-Tip and Mos Def. He wrote over 500 songs,[3] including the lyrics for "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black", performed live for the first time by Nina Simone on the album Black Gold (1970). It became the official Civil Rights anthem.

Irvine's last major project was The Price of Freedom (1999), a compilation of original songs by hip-hop, jazz, funk, and R&B artists to respond to the shooting of Amadou Diallo.[2] Irvine committed suicide outside of EAB Plaza and in front of the Nassau Coliseum located in Uniondale, New York on April 9, 2002.[2] In 2004, Madlib produced a tribute to Weldon Irvine, A Tribute to Brother Irvine.[4]

[edit] Discography

  • 1972: Liberated Brother (Nodlew)
  • 1973: Time Capsule (Nodlew)
  • 1974: Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine)
  • 1974: In Harmony (Strata-East Records)
  • 1975: Spirit Man (RCA)
  • 1976: Sinbad (RCA)
  • 1979: The Sisters (Saucerman)
  • 1994: Music Is the Key (Luv N Haight)
  • 1995: Keyboards Wild DJ's Smile (Tuff City Records)
  • 1998: Embrace the Positive (Nodlew)
  • 2000: The Amadou Project: The Price of Freedom (Nodlew)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Weldon Irvine. Nathaniel Turner. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  2. ^ a b c Weldon Irvine: Biography. allmusic.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  3. ^ Weldon Irvine. artistdirect.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  4. ^ Nikhil Yerwadekar. Yesterday's New Quintet. Hip Hop Site. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.

[edit] External links