Cassandra Wilson Galleries 1

  Although her recording career has been somewhat erratic, Cassandra Wilson became one of the top jazz singers of the '90s, a vocalist blessed with a distinctive and flexible


voice who is not afraid to take chances. She began playing piano and guitar when she was nine and was working as a vocalist by the mid-'70s, singing a wide variety of material. Following a year in New Orleans, Wilson moved to New York in 1982 and began working with Dave Holland and Abbey Lincoln. After meeting Steve Coleman, she became the main vocalist with the M-Base Collective. Although there was really no room for a singer in the overcrowded free funk ensembles, Wilson did as good a job of fitting in as was possible. She worked with New Air and recorded her first album as a leader in 1985. By her third record, a standards date, she was sounding quite a bit like Betty Carter. After a few more albums in which she mostly performed original and rather inferior material, Cassandra Wilson changed directions and performed an acoustic blues-oriented program for Blue Note called Blue Light 'Til Dawn. By going back in time, she had found herself, and Wilson has continued interpreting in fresh and creative ways vintage country blues and folk music up until the present day. During 1997 she toured as part of Wynton Marsalis' Blood on the Fields production. Traveling Miles, her tribute to Miles Davis, followed two years later. For 2002's Belly of the Sun, she drew on an array of roots musics -- blues, country, soul, rock -- to fashion a record that furthered her artistic career while still aligning well with trends in popular music. Glamoured, released in 2003, poised a different kind of challenge; half the material was composed by Wilson herself. Unwilling to stand still, Wilson gently explored sampling and other hip hop techniques for 2006's Thunderbird. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Thunderbird
Released: 04.04.06

Traveling Miles [DVD Audio]
Label: Blue Note
Released: 02.15.05

Traveling Miles [Bonus Tracks]
Released: 04.27.04

Glamoured
Label: Blue Note Records
Released: 10.07.03

Sings Standards
Label: Verve
Released: 07.16.02

Sings Standards [Japanese Import]
Label: Japanese Import
Released: 06.18.02

Belly of the Sun [Japan Bonus Track]
Label: Blue Note
Released: 05.07.02

Belly of the Sun
Label: Blue Note Records
Released: 02.26.02

Traveling Miles
Label: Blue Note Records
Released: 03.23.99

Blue Moon Rendezvous
Label: EMI
Released: 08.25.98

New Moon Daughter
Label: Blue Note Records
Released: 01.01.95

Blue Light Til Dawn
Label: Blue Note Records
Released: 01.01.93

Dance to the Drums Again
Label: DIW (Japan)
Released: 01.01.92

Songbook
Label: Jazz Music Today
Released: 08.01.91

After the Beginning Again
Label: Verve
Released: 08.01.91

Live
Label: Winter & Winter
Released: 05.09.91

She Who Weeps
Label: Winter & Winter
Released: 12.01.90

Jumpworld
Label: Winter & Winter
Released: 08.01.89

Blue Skies
Label: Winter & Winter
Released: 02.01.88

Days Aweigh
Label: Jazz Music Today
Released: 05.01.87

Point of View
Label: Winter & Winter
Released: 12.15.85