Cassandra Wilson’s “Blue Light Til Dawn”
Apr
- Artist: Cassandra Wilson
- Album: Blue Light 'til Dawn
- Label: Blue Note
- Release Date: November 2, 1993
- Genre: Jazz Vocal
- Formats: CD, LP, MP3
When Cassandra Wilson signed to Blue Note in 1993 she had been struggling to find a suitable vehicle for her gorgeous contralto. In an attempt to ignore the creative cul-de-sac of jazz-funk, producer Craig Street asked Wilson to list the music that had ever moved her to tears, and was surprised to hear her cite ancient blues standards and 70s folk-rock classics. Ever since then, Wilson’s pastoral jazz has dug deep into the terrifyingly gothic spirit of Robert Johnson while cleverly ignoring the blues clichés.
Spare, careful arrangements, each specifically formulated for each song, each matching her rich, dark alto. First and foremost, serious jazz, but also something entirely different, reflecting an eclectic song choice (e.g., Robert Johnson, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Ann Peebles, herself). Sometimes a primal awareness, but mainly a remarkable artistic sensibility. She DEMANDS attention, completely remaking even old favorites into something totally new.
The CD was originally released in 1993 and unfortunately we had to wait until the back end of 2011 to finally hear this on LP; wow! Do not delay, this LP is on limited release…
