OffBeat fans may recognize Shea Pierre, a local pianist, who performed as a part of last year’s Christmas spectacular alongside Gabi Cavassa, Mark Anthony Thomas, Artisound Productions, Josh Starkman, and Flighteous. Sadly, the producer, composer, and arranger, lost his home last week as a result of Hurricane Idea. “As a way to rebuild and exchange something of value to the people,” Pierre is releasing his vegan cookbook, Food and Mood, that will give exclusive access to his debut album, Music.Color.Medicine via QR code. “For those who love to listen to music while they cook, it’s a great way to do so,” he explains. The book includes 10 soy-free, nut-free recipes such as his Mushroom Meatloaf, Creole Red Rice Jambalaya, and New Orleans Banana Foster, and more.
“I’m from LaPlace, grew up there and recently moved back there with my wife and 4 month old. We love our community and wanted to see more resources there—especially in the way of food. Right before Ida, I started selling vegan food as a healthy alternative to all the fast food joints there. I felt like people wanted to eat better, but didn’t know where to start and most didn’t want to have to constantly drive to New Orleans to eat at a restaurant that served healthy options.”
A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory with a degree in Jazz Studies, Pierre started beta testing his recipes via social media earlier this year. (At the Christmas performance, he did a cooking demonstration for viewers).
“Unfortunately, our home is unlivable right now due to a few feet of flooding and the mold that has sat in the house making it hazardous. I lost all of my equipment and materials, thinking I’d be gone for a few days and come back to LaPlace the way I left it,” he says. Like so many affected by the storm, Pierre simply wants to use his resources to rebuild and recalibrate.
Music.Color.Medicine is Pierre’s first album, a project he says “blurs the lines which divide the different walks of Black life in America.”
“I sought to tap into the root of our experiences and create music that is a reflection of it all. As a musician, I strive to not box myself into a specific category. I can play blues, but I’m not a blues musician. I can play hip hop, but I’m not a hip hop musician. I can play gospel, but I’m not a gospel musician. I am simply a vessel with the ability to convey the messages contained in all. Because piano is my main instrument, I definitely wanted that sound to stick out. However, I was always against the idea of making an exclusively piano album that only other musicians could enjoy. In order to do that I had to contend with my ego. Sometimes as musicians, we have a tendency to want to show off everything we spent years studying. I had a very deep yearning to not let too many notes get in the way of the message I wanted to convey. With this album, my aim is to make the listener feel more than the presence of a pianist but a composer, arranger, producer, observer, story-teller, and seeker of divine truths.”
Food and Mood by Shea Pierre is available for purchase for $22.22 via Gumroad. To purchase, click here. Shea Pierre is on Instagram here.
