Search - Cassandra Wilson :: Songbook

Sweet Lorrain! Another great release from Cassandra

stevenlpreston | 01/17/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I didn't start out a fan of this talented artist, however, after putting three of her albums on the 5-disc player one evening, I was hooked. Of those three (Blue Skies, Song Book, and Blue Light 'til Dawn), Song Book really has had more playtime thus far. Track 4 is not a title one would expect to be so smooth, but in fact, Baubles, Bangles, and Beads could easily be background score for a better made 007 feature. Listen to it and then the James Bond Anniversery Collection and it drips with similarity. Sweet Lorraine, albeit a longer cover version than most, is also to be savored by any beginner Jazz audiophile. It could almost be a live recording (with a quiet audience) based on the acoustics. The only track that doesn't get replayed in my car (or computer station, or home system) is track 9 - Good Time Fairies. Nice brass work, but to blatent in entry. This track needs a re-mix, in my opinion. Track 3 - Blue in Green is perfect, and she shows wonderful range!All in all still one of the better albums released. Maybe, JMT or The Verve will bring out some live performances in small to medium venues.P.S. If Cassandra's range and music selection interest you, try looking for any of Angela Hagenbach's releases. She's a KC jazz club regular, and really should have a major label by now."