Cassandra Wilson
Blue Light 'Til Dawn

Shortly after signing with Blue Note, Cassandra Wilson released this album, dated 1993. The success was such that Cassandra Wilson became one of the most appreciated artists in the jazz scene of the '90s, certainly the most prominent female figure.

In "Blue Light", various songs by diverse authors (from Joni Mitchell to Van Morrison, up to Don Raye and Robert Johnson) are reinterpreted, plus three personal compositions.
The result is phenomenal: the voice is splendid, at times a bit masculine, it possesses a feminine delicacy, a masculine baritone depth, and a dynamism that allows her to feel comfortable both in jazz improvisations and in black blues.

The opening track is "You Don't Know What Love Is", a slow piece for acoustic guitar and voice. Brandon Ross's interpretation is applause-worthy, Cassandra's voice is seductive and intense and the performance is made even more stunning by a violin solo by Charlie Burnham. Speechless. "Come On My Kitchen" changes the register, it is a mid-tempo with jazz sounds arranged and played as best as could be, with Cassandra alternating between whispers and aggressive volume changes. "Tell Me You'll Wait for Me" is a slow number with Kenny Davis's double bass, introduced by a fantastic voice. "Children of the Night" introduces the most African sounds present on the record, it is a frantic gallop in which the percussions and Brandon Ross's guitar chase each other.
It feels like being on the savannah during a chase between a cheetah and a gazelle. Very evocative. There is an obsessive attention to arrangements and background sounds. "Hellhound on My Trail" is a blues reinterpreted by Brandon Ross’s fantastic guitar and with exceptional vocal timbre depth; Wilson accompanies each verse end modulating the singing as only she knows how to do. In the background, you can hear a horn (played by Olu Dara) that seems to comment on the singing in an onomatopoeic way.

"Black Crow" introduces us again to an exotic atmosphere, with percussions and tribal sounds, where the clarinet (divinely played by Don Byron) and voice chase each other in a jazz improvisation. "Sankofa" is a track entirely written by Cassandra Wilson, with various voices of different timbres succeeding each other in a virtuosic endeavor. Interpretation halfway between black soul and blues. The baritone voice she brings out is unique. "Estrellas" is an exclusively percussive piece that serves as an introduction to the next song. The "vocal warble" is peculiar, with an unrecognizable timbre. It moves with a suggestive change of tempo to “Redbone” (written by Cassandra), still tribal, again a singing halfway between blues and jazz, this time accompanied by Gib Wharton's pedal steel guitar. "Tupelo Honey" is a slow ballad by Van Morrison, on the lyrics of "Angel" by Jimi Hendrix, completely transformed to fit the vocal needs of the black singer. Central solo of violin by Charlie Burnham to make the blood freeze, the best solo performance on the CD in my opinion (along with Don Byron's clarinet).

"Blue Light 'Til Dawn", a piece written by Wilson, is a simply perfect song. I'm not quite sure how to define it, modern jazz-blues? Blues-pop? Gib Wharton once again on the pedal steel distinctively characterizes the song. The CD closes with "I Can't Stand the Rain", for country guitar and voice, a blues improvisation of great depth, irresistible slide guitar. The production of the CD is remarkable: clean but warm and close sounds for the listener. Sometimes it feels like having Brandon Ross behind us slipping with the acoustics. The instrumental performances and arrangements are really outstanding and never trivial. The attention to every single sound is, as noted, almost obsessive. We've understood Wilson's voice. The peculiarity is that you get to the end of the album without being remotely bored, and in my opinion, the listening can be recommended even to those who do not habitually dabble in jazz or pure blues.

The score is a 4 and not 5, a number I reserve only for masterpieces. This is a great CD, but it doesn't seem like a masterpiece to me. Let's say that if the score had been given in tenths it would have deserved a 9. Bye. Squalo.