Cassandra Wilson's Loverly will be released by Blue Note Records on June 10th. This collection of revamped jazz standards might not be as interesting if sung by a lesser voice, but Cassandra's vocals have a unique depth and texture that can't accurately be likened to that of anyone else. The closest comparison would be Roberta Flack, but even that esteemed analogy is lacking. The selection of covers on Loverly fit Cassandra's voice like a second skin. Never one to be boring or predictable, Cassandra breathes new life into the arrangements with help from Nigerian percussionist, Lekan Babalola.
Cassandra Wilson was probably the artist that first drew me to the jazz genre. Though I'd heard Billie, Ella, and Nina before, I was still much more into rock, country, and singer-songwriters than jazz or blues. Then I randomly purchased Cassandra's New Moon Daughter
in 1996 and my music taste hasn't been the same since. You have to respect a woman that can transform songs by U2, Neil Young, Hank Williams, and even The Monkees into soulful classics in one album. Wilson was raised in Jackson, Mississippi and has been playing guitar and piano since she was nine years old.
Cassandra's hearty voice and some splashes of brass temper the jaunty orchestration of Loverly's opener "Lover Come Back To Me", then "Black Orpheus" slows into a sensual beat beneath Wilson's elegant vocals. My Fair Lady's "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" has never been a favorite of mine, but this jazz metamorphosis is much more palatable than the original.
The sparse instrumentation of "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" allows Cassandra's glorious voice to rightfully take the spotlight. "St. James Infirmary" takes a turn into funky blues, and the disc also includes covers of The Music Man's "'Till There Was You" (made famous by The Beatles), "The Very Thought Of You", and "A Sleepin' Bee".
However, it is Wilson and Babalola's infusion of West African drumming patterns into classic jazz and blues arrangements that produce the most exciting moments on the album. The superlative examples being the coalescence of exotic rhythm and percussion with tranquil piano in the melody of "Gone With The Wind" along with the mesmeric reworkings of "Caravan" and Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom". The sole original track "Arere" - inspired by the Yoruban deity of iron and willpower - is another psychotropic blend of African rhythm and jazz piano.
I was not granted permission to share an mp3, but you can hear samples at the links below.
Cassandra Wilson Official Site
Buy @ Amazon
Cassandra Wilson was probably the artist that first drew me to the jazz genre. Though I'd heard Billie, Ella, and Nina before, I was still much more into rock, country, and singer-songwriters than jazz or blues. Then I randomly purchased Cassandra's New Moon Daughter
in 1996 and my music taste hasn't been the same since. You have to respect a woman that can transform songs by U2, Neil Young, Hank Williams, and even The Monkees into soulful classics in one album. Wilson was raised in Jackson, Mississippi and has been playing guitar and piano since she was nine years old. Cassandra's hearty voice and some splashes of brass temper the jaunty orchestration of Loverly's opener "Lover Come Back To Me", then "Black Orpheus" slows into a sensual beat beneath Wilson's elegant vocals. My Fair Lady's "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" has never been a favorite of mine, but this jazz metamorphosis is much more palatable than the original.
The sparse instrumentation of "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" allows Cassandra's glorious voice to rightfully take the spotlight. "St. James Infirmary" takes a turn into funky blues, and the disc also includes covers of The Music Man's "'Till There Was You" (made famous by The Beatles), "The Very Thought Of You", and "A Sleepin' Bee".
However, it is Wilson and Babalola's infusion of West African drumming patterns into classic jazz and blues arrangements that produce the most exciting moments on the album. The superlative examples being the coalescence of exotic rhythm and percussion with tranquil piano in the melody of "Gone With The Wind" along with the mesmeric reworkings of "Caravan" and Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom". The sole original track "Arere" - inspired by the Yoruban deity of iron and willpower - is another psychotropic blend of African rhythm and jazz piano.
I was not granted permission to share an mp3, but you can hear samples at the links below.
Cassandra Wilson Official Site
Buy @ Amazon
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