Cassandra Wilson
Traveling Miles

THE REVIEW

An ambitious project, perhaps too much... In any case, a heartfelt tribute to one of the greatest artists born on this earth: Miles Davis.

Still, the courage to reintroduce in an album such diverse tracks, taken from the long career of a man whose ideas were always a step ahead of his time, must be appreciated. It is not easy to retrace tracks like Miles Run The Voodoo Down, and perhaps it is beyond these artists' capabilities. The space where everything can generate because everything is in its primordial form, pure interaction of thought and instant action, the famous Bitches Brew. But Cassandra's class is truly immense when, after this, she decides to stop time and contemplate beauty: "Born with the thunder and lightning" she sings in Traveling Miles, while the sax blows its wind made of dust and shining dreams. Or when the seven steps to heaven marked by the vibraphone bring a ray of sunshine into the blue (notes) night; the velvety voice, the seemingly unstoppable swing, and an overflowing, sparkling, splendid violin solo. But there are other memorable moments on this record: what about Someday My Prince Will Come? The deep singing, "The ballad" par excellence, a transparent, impalpable path. Like sea foam, towards the shores of the heart. Or the oblique melody of ESP, that asymmetrical sweetness that only Shorter could conceive... and it seems that the echoes of this extend into the next track: Blues della resurrezione, an intriguing title that hides behind it Tutu. A guitar as biting and sharp as blades, a hypnotic voice, the dark sound of the marimba that never would have thought it could be so blues. But, speaking of sweetness: the next track is one of my favorites of Miles: Blue in Green. Oh yes, this is exactly when you can't help but fall in love with Cassandra's singing "Tossed between the sky and sea, we'll sail until we found the harbor light",pure ecstasy condensed in the magic of a few chords.

Perhaps, Wilson's greatest merit was being able to render everything in a personal manner, with a uniform style that is always recognizable (you understand that the risk of being overshadowed by the master's personality was enormous). So, congratulations Cassandra... and thank you again, Miles!