The passing of Teena Marie hit the community hard. She was a huge energy force – amazing musician, singer, songwriter, and mentor to many. It’s no wonder as we reminisce and listen to her greatness, various producers are inspired to rework some of Lady Tee music. Mark de Clive-Lowe has picked my favourite tunes by Teena Marie,”Lovergirl,” which is a heavy guitar driven song in lead and bass coupled with loud vocals. MdCL flips “Lovegirl“ in a downtempo with Sy Smith singing according to the rhythm. Sy calls it a “a humble tribute to one of my favorite recording artists ever, Lady T.” That’s what I love about this version of song—rather than go hard and do exactly what Teena did on the track, this tribute is a subtle way to say “we love and will alway miss you!” Nicely done!

You can get a free download of this track on Mark de Clive-Lowe‘s Bandcamp page.

What can be said about Mark de Clive-Lowe? He is a musical genius, the Herbie Hancock of our times, an amazing producer, who is devoid of categorization. His biological make-up (part New Zealand and Japanese), has provided him with this eclectic approach to music, where damn near everyone in the future soul, nu-jazz, hip-hop, and experimental sounds communities want to work with him. Collaborating with the likes of Restless Soul, DJ Spinna, Dego (4Hero), Bugz in the Attic, Wajeed (Platinum Pied Piper), Bembe Seque, Omar, Lyric L, Tawiah, to name a few, it is an honor that Mark agreed to put together a list of his Top 10 musical highlights for 2009 – especially during his busy schedule while in Barcelona! His tastes in music are so varied, which only further exemplifies his aptitude of an outstanding producer. He truly appreciates music.

Keep your ears open for forthcoming musical pleasures from Mark, who has projects in the works with Jody Watley, Sy Smith, Omar (yay!!!!), and the legendary Leon Ware.

Mark de Clive-Lowe’s 2009 Top Ten Picks

10. Dam Funk – Toeachizown (Album)

9. Julien Dyne – Pins & Digits (Album)

8. Shafiq Husayn – “Nirvana” Original + Remix from En’ A-Free-Ka Album

7. Joy Jones – “Over” on Godchild (Album)

6. Slum Village – featuring Marsha Ambrosius – “Cloud 9″ (Single)

5. Phil Asher – “9 Minutes of Fun” (Single)

4. Rob van de Wouw – Tunnelvision (Album)

3. Sterling Ensemble – feat. Sara Devine – “Life Ain’t What It Seems” (Single)

2. Mos Def - ‘Quiet Dog’ Live on Letterman

1. Esperanza Spalding – Esperanza (Album)