SouthFlorida.com | City Link Magazine

One of the first acts to blend jazz with hip-hop, Digable Planets scored a Top 20 single in 1993 with "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)." The trio's debut album, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), gained attention for its creative sampling of jazz greats Art Blakey and Sonny Rollins and soul legend Curtis Mayfield. Yet after the group's second album, 1994's Blowout Comb, sold poorly, the Planets disbanded, citing creative differences and personal problems.

Now, after a 10-year hiatus, Digable Planets has regrouped. The act recently toured Europe, performing sold-out shows in Austria, Germany, Denmark, Holland and Belgium.

"We got back together in late 2004, and we just felt it was time. The sun, moon and stars aligned, and it happened," says Craig Irving (a.k.a. Doodlebug and Cee Knowledge), who reunited with bandmates Ishmael Butler (a.k.a. Butterfly) and Mary Ann Vieira (a.k.a. Ladybug).

"We feel really good about getting back together. It's divine order for us to get back together," Vieira adds. "The chemistry is definitely still there."

While the group isn't planning to tour the United States until this summer, it will be in Miami this week for the Winter Music Conference, performing Sunday at I/O Lounge. "Our European tour went so well, it was humbling," Irving says. "After a 10-year sabbatical, it was so nice to see everyone was still into it."

Vieira couldn't be happier about the reunion but still recalls the difficult time she had during the group's breakup. "I had a lot of personal stuff to take care of at the time," she says. "My mom became terminally ill, and then 11 months later, my father passed away. It was a tough time for me."

The group will release a still-untitled greatest-hits collection later this year and plans to record a new album during its upcoming tour. "We don't have a title picked out yet, but we'd like to get a new album recorded and out by the end of 2005," Irving says.

As for the Miami show, the Planets are planning to perform a mix of old and new material. "The show is going to be free-flowing," Irving promises. "We want the crowd to be into it. We're trying to find our way again."

Irving, who also has an urban comic book in the works with his graphic artist friend Kai Chi, says South Florida is one of his favorite places to visit. "I love Miami," he says. "I have mad friends down here and I try to get down here any excuse I can get."

Because each member of the group explored a solo career and generated moderate buzz, Vieira, who will release her second solo album in May, believes the Planets actually evolved during their time apart. "The European tour we just took was really a turning point for us," she says. "We really got to look at each other objectively. We have this momentum now, and we don't want to lose it."

Digable Planets will perform 10 p.m. Sunday at I/O Lounge, 30 N.E. 14th St., in Miami. Al Valient, Pete Philly and Blestenation are also on the bill. Tickets cost $20. Call 305/358-8007 or visit www.iolounge.com.