Loverly

Her first album of covers since her Blue Note debut in 1988 (BLUE SKIES)... Cassandra Wilson's new, gorgeous collection of classics, LOVERLY, is filled with the textures, rhythms and style that you've come to expect from the distinctive diva. The Grammy-winning vocalist and her renowned band collected in a rented house in Mississippi where they spent quality time enjoying each other's company, sharing meals and recording an organic and relaxed jazz and blues-tinged album that really stretches out. If you listen carefully, you'll hear little things in the mix like a conversational word or laugh, making this a natural, personal listening experience... as if it were recorded in your own home. Ms. Wilson's earthy, articulate voice wraps around timeless, 20th century pieces with straight-ahead strength and progressive notions. Self-produced, LOVERLY is built from the drums up (not uncommon for this unique craftswoman). Grooves provided by Herlin Riley and Nigerian drummer/percussionist Lekan Babalola, rich baselines compliments of Lonnie Plaxico and Reginald Veal, unpredictable piano performances delivered by Jason Moran, gutsy guitar work courtesy of Marvin Sewell and special guest, trumpeter Nicholas Payton. Not your mother's jazz, LOVERLY employs progressive rhythms and attributes that melt into Cassandra's golden vocal tracks like butter on a warm biscuit. Don't miss her deconstruction of these selective classics including "Caravan," "Lover Come Back To Me" and "Wouldn't It Be Loverly." Indeed!

pretty good cd. Im waiting for her to do some pop & Christian/ worship cd which would be better for her voice & would show what kind of voice she truly has.

Back in the Eighties, the American singer Cassandra Wilson was a founder of the M-Base movement which mixed African culture with funk and avant-garde jazz.
For more than a decade, however, she's achieved commercial and critical success by re-imagining unexpected material as bluesy jazz.
Her new album is ostensibly a straightforward collection of standards, even tackling "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from the musical "My Fair Lady" (My Fair Lady (1956 Original Broadway Cast)), but it also embraces gentle experimentation grounded in the percussion of African drum expert Lekan Babalola.
Thus Dixieland classic "St James Infirmary" becomes a rolling percussive groove and the whole album thrives on jamming between piano and rhythm section.
Certainly easy on the ear, "Loverly" also nudges subtly and playfully at smooth jazz listeners' expectations.
The title just about sums this up, really. It's a cracking album of top-drawer singing, and might just be the best album Wilson has recorded since her debut 15 years ago.
It finds her exploring the standards repertoire with relish and invention, helped by her old friends: guitarist Marvin Sewell, bassists Reggie Veal and Lonnie Plaxico, drummer Herlin Riley, and labelmate and pianist Jason Moran.
Cassandra Wilson's voice has matured into a wonderfully expressive instrument, full of smoky intensity and her way with a lyric is beguiling.
She finds new things to say on old songs like "Gone With the Wind" and the lovely "Black Orpheus".
Cassandra gets into funky form on "St James' Infirmary" and a raunchy "Dust My Broom".
Rush out and buy it.
You will love it!