Search - Cassandra Wilson :: Sings Standards

Needs to be remixed!

Jeremy S McElroy | Indianapolis, IN United States | 08/05/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This Verve release has the potential of being a pleasure to listen to, but the reverb on Cassandra's voice muddies her articulate style. The vocals are also hard to hear over the other instruments. The method in which Cassandra performs these standards is an enjoyable and refreshing approach. Buy it when the remix comes out!"

5 stars!!! (but i got a crush on her, so what do i know?!?!)

R. Davis | louisville, ky | 08/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i didnt purchase this lookin for perfection and i didnt buy this so i could compare her versions to those recorded by others, i just like her style and i wanted to hear her earlier stuff... and i have no regrets... classic material handled by a great voice... this is not the disc for new fans, just true fans mostly. if you are just now tryin to find out what ms. wilson is about then, 'new moon daughter', 'belly of the sun' & 'blue light til dawn' are the ones to own!!!"

A Good Compilation for Wilson Fans and Newbies

Jeremy S McElroy | 08/05/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I doubt many of Cassandra Wilson's numerous fans knew her pre-Blue Note (New Moon Daughter and Blue Light Till Dawn) recordings. They were, like the Brooklyn-based approach to jazz from which her and her musicians grew, challenging. The sound was raw with jagged edges exposed and consisted of original material with some standards and eventually an albumn of them (probably to increase her mainstream exposure). These standards include some of the more challenging arrangements from that period as well as the more traditional jazz quartet arrangements. However, all take on the style of the singer not as deconstructions of the standards but solid interpretations of old friends. If you like Ms. Wilson you will like this collection. If you prefer some other jazz singer don't buy it, and if you think no one sings like Ella or Sarah or Carmen or Betty, then you should not be reading this, but please check out the numerous ladies who are doing their own thing and doing it well (too many to list here). This standards collection is one of the good ones, even if she has moved on in recent recordings to interpret a new set of songs. Check this out -- and then check out her new one, Belly of the Sun, for a nice take on what music free of simple labels sounds like. I will have some of that!"