Karen Bernod, Brooklyn Homecoming: A Remastered Debut and a Soulful Return to the Stage

BKLS celebrates the artists shaping NYC’s creative rhythm—past and present. This season, Soul returns to the stage with Karen Bernod’s milestone re-release.

“Brooklyn is its own song,” says Karen Bernod. And few people understand its rhythm like she does. In a city constantly evolving, Bernod’s return offers a rare moment of pause—a chance to celebrate an artist whose sound shaped an era, and whose story is woven into Brooklyn’s creative fabric. 

The acclaimed soul and jazz singer-songwriter has spent decades weaving her voice into the soundtrack of New York City—first in the background with icons like Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, and Luther Vandross, and now, once again, center stage.

This summer, Bernod marks a milestone. Twenty-five years after the release of her groundbreaking debut Some Othaness For U, she returns with a digitally remastered anniversary edition—her way of reintroducing her essence to a city that shaped her, and that she, in turn, helped shape.

For Bernod, this moment is more than a reissue. It is a rediscovery. A way to reintroduce her essence to a city that shaped her, and that she, in turn, helped shape.

“This anniversary is both a full-circle moment and a new beginning,” Bernod shares. “To revisit and reintroduce Some Othaness For U in a way that honors where I’ve been but sets the tone for where I’m going is truly special.”

Back to the Beginning

Originally released in 2000, Some Othaness For U was a declaration of identity and sound. A genre-blending mix of soul, jazz, and neo-soul anchored by Bernod’s expressive vocals and textured storytelling. It signaled her transition from renowned background vocalist to solo artist, earning praise for its vulnerability, groove, and quiet power

Released at the turn of the millennium, the album emerged at a time when neo-soul and conscious R&B were carving out new space in mainstream music. Bernod’s work stood out for its authenticity. And earned her recognition in underground circles and among fellow musicians navigating similar creative paths.

The 2025 edition brings that album into sharper focus. Remastered by legendary engineer Herb Powers, Jr. of PM Mastering in New Jersey, the project breathes new clarity into Bernod’s early work. It is a fresh listen, but it does not erase the past. Instead, it amplifies it.

For longtime fans, it is a nostalgic reunion. For new listeners, it is an introduction to a voice that has been in the room all along.

From the Background to the Frontline

Before her solo career, Karen Bernod lived in the musical margins—but never in the shadows. Her voice graced recordings and tours for legends across genres: from Mary J. Blige to D’Angelo, Whitney Houston to Paul Simon, and even British acid jazz band Incognito.

You may have heard her vocals on Incognito’s hit album No Time Like The Future, or felt her presence on Barbara Tucker’s club classic “Beautiful People.” She was always there—anchoring harmonies, adding texture, deepening the sound.

With Some Othaness For U, she claimed the spotlight.

The Power of Presence

This month’s re-release is not Bernod’s only return. Last month, she quietly dropped a live track from the vault: a jazz-infused rendition of the Ashford & Simpson classic “It Seems To Hang On [Live],” recorded at the now-shuttered Highline Ballroom. It was her way of reminding us—with no fanfare, just craft—that she never left the room.

That track, too, was remastered by Herb Powers and features her longtime band, Brooklyn Soul. It is a sultry, grounded reinterpretation that transforms a disco favorite into a slow-burning soul confession.

City Winery New York City: A Stage for the Story

📅 Date: Monday, June 30, 2025 |📍Location: 25 11th Avenue [at 15th Street], Hudson River Park—Chelsea, Manhattan

Her upcoming show at City Winery in New York City is where it all comes together.

The setlist spans her journey: tracks from the newly remastered debut, fan favorites, and selections from her forthcoming album Iris, a deeply personal project dedicated to her late mother. The performance will be her first full-length solo show in years and her first appearance at City Winery.

Known for its warm acoustics and candlelit ambiance, City Winery offers the kind of stage Bernod thrives on—personal, soulful, and close enough to feel like a conversation with the audience.

For Bernod, it is not just a show. It is an offering.

And for Bernod, Brooklyn is not just a backdrop—it is part of the story. Take a walk through one of its most iconic neighborhoods here.

What Comes Next

Following Some Othaness For U, Bernod built a formidable catalogue: Life @ 360 Degrees, #PlantingSeeds, Four Women: Side 1, and the remix album LYFE REMIXED. Each project was another turn in the spiral of her artistic evolution.

But Iris, her next release, promises something different. A eulogy. A love letter. A continuation. It signals where she has been, but also who she has become.

Infused with gospel undertones and meditative lyrics, the album explores grief, ancestry, and spiritual resilience. Written during a season of loss, Iris is as much a healing process as it is a musical one.

Tracklist: Some Othaness For U [25th Anniversary Edition]

1. Endangered Specie [2025 Remaster]
2. Chillin’ On the DL [2025 Remaster]
3. Pray [2025 Remaster]
4. Spirit [2025 Remaster]
5. Do Ya Wanna Do [2025 Remaster]
6. The Rest of My Life [Wedding Song] [2025 Remaster]
7. Lookin’ For Love [2025 Remaster]
8. Reminiscin’ On Yo Kissin’ [2025 Remaster]
9. The Pocket [2025 Remaster]
10. Spirit [Deeper Remix] [2025 Remaster]

How to Experience It

Some Othaness For U [25th Anniversary Edition] drops June 27 on all streaming platforms.

🎟️ Tickets to her June 30 City Winery show are available now.

🎧 Stream the album (link to be updated upon release)

Karen Bernod’s voice has always been there—behind the music, between the harmonies, inside the grooves. Now, it is out front again, where it belongs.

In a world that often forgets the voices behind the curtain, Bernod’s return is a reminder. Soul does not fade. It waits, it listens, and when it speaks again, it sings with all the lives it has touched.

Brooklyn, this one is for you.