Cassandra Wilson and the Art of Jazz Singing

The death that shook up (in a good way) American culture recently was, of course, Dolly Parton's. An American original as well as an American type, she came from basically "nothing" to become an icon both of country music and savvy entrepreneurship. She was self-deprecating to the max but nobody's fool. More than that, she served as sort of a cultural bodhisattva, bestowing encouragement and good vibes upon one and all. Clearly, she is missed.

However, the recent musician death that actually meant more to me was that of Cassandra Wilson, the masterful, maverick jazz singer and composer. She really broke through in the early 90s with Blue Light Till Dawn, a recording that broke the jazz singer mold. It was jazz that incorporated rural blues and country as well as West African modes of rhythm and spirituality. Nothing really ever sounded like it before, but much has since, revealing her influence on American music. She developed her sound in collaboration with the producer Craig Street and guitarist Brandon Ross. Perhaps there are others. I should add that her impulse toward genuine creativity was nurtured in the 80s through her association with the M-Base collective led by saxophonist Steve Coleman. 

In the video I have selected to share here, she performs in duet with Ross. She does two of the best songs from Blue Light, Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey" and the blues classic, "You Don't Know What Love Is," choices that hint at her tremendous range. In this minimalist setting her vocal mastery is on full display. As is her delight in the music. She gets so far inside the music that she seems to simultaneously be creating it and experiencing it as if it were being performed by someone else. Maybe it was! A spirit guide perhaps? Certainly, the best music includes an aspect of channeling. Above all, she employs her technique and her spectacular sense of phrasing to convey deep emotion. It is a healing phenomenon, suggesting that, like Dolly, she was a bodhisattva too. How many lifetimes must it have taken to be able to sing like that? More than it takes to become, oh, I don't know, a CEO or something. Long story, short: I'm grateful to have been able to share this slice of existence with her -- as well as all the other jazz masters of the last century.