New Cassandra Wilson on the way

[ghost of miles]

GLAMOURED hits the streets next Tuesday. I'll be curious to hear it--have a very mixed opinion of her last two efforts for Blue Note. BLUE LIGHT TILL DAWN & NEW MOON DAUGHTER still rank as two of the best jazz vocal CDs of the 90's for me, and I keep hoping she'll deliver another that's as consistently strong as those two. Thoughts? Opinions? The last CD sounded like a great idea/concept that got a bit muddled in the execution--I found myself wishing that she'd gone full steam ahead on a blues approach, because for me that's one of her key strengths.

[jazzbo]

I really really have learned to love "Belly of the Sun" and in fact it's become my favorite, so I'm cool if this turns out that well. No idea what to expect really, and because I'm SO inundated with great matrial to listen to that I probably won't get around to this for a spell. . . .

[RonF]

I've had a chance to do a quick preview. There are six songs written by Cassandra. I'll need some time with those. She does Fragile by Sting and I very much like what she does with that. It stands up to the wonderful recent version by Andy Bey. She also chose Dylan's Lay Lady Lay which, frankly, I don't understand...yet. An odd choice for her and the arrangement didn't do much for me. Willie Nelson's Crazy is one of the highlights, imho. Several singers are doing Crazy these days...it seems to fit Cassandra's style very well. Then there's If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Wanna Be Right).... I'll reserve comment. Who did that? Bobby Blue Bland? And Muddy Water's Honey Bee, which at first listen, for a classic charging blues, seems to be lacking....something?

Herlin Riley and Teri Lynne Carrington provide the drumming. Reginald Veal is the primary bassist. Fabrizio Sotti and Brandon Ross - guitars.

Like I said...a quick preview. Curious to hear other opinions.

I too learned to like Belly of the Sun, btw.

[Aggie87]

Count me as another who's really looking forward to this. I am still enjoying Belly of the Sun alot! I saw Cassandra in concert here this past July, and it was a fantastic show. She played a few of the tunes from "Glamoured", and they came across well.

I find it interesting she is covering another Dylan tune so quickly, after "Shelter from the Storm", but I guess she must really be getting into him of late. The other title she played live (that I remember by name) was called "Broken Drum", and was also quite good.

[montg]

I enjoy Belly of the Sun quite a bit (except for the India.arie appearance which serves, I guess, to highlight how good Cassandra really is--the comparison between the two certainly favors CW). Anyway, you gotta admire anyone who can get away with putting Darkness on the Delta and Witchita Lineman on the same album and make them both fit.

Of all the Dylan songs available, LLL is a curious choice. I would like to hear Cassandra try her hand at one of Dylan's gospel songs. Maybe next time.