Wilson Returns to Standards with Quiet Authority
Wilson's smoky alto remains one of the most beguiling sounds in jazz, anchored by exploratory piano and polyrhythmic percussion.
Loverly finds Cassandra Wilson back on familiar ground — the jazz standards that have always suited her voice and sensibility. If you know her work, you'll recognize the approach: a small group, spacious arrangements, and Wilson's distinctive alto at the center, doing what it does best. The band here centers on Jason Moran on piano, Marvin Sewell on guitar, and Lekan Babalola on percussion. Moran plays exploratory, thoughtful lines that give the standards room to breathe rather than muscle through them. Sewell's guitar is understated, almost deferential in tone, which means when it matters — on tracks like a reworked "Gone With the Wind" — it lands with quiet weight. Babalola is the wildcard. His polyrhythmic approach, drawing from his Nigerian background, adds genuine texture and surprise. On Duke Ellington's "Caravan," those percussion flurries lift the whole track above what could have been routine.
This is her second standards album, so if you're coming to Wilson for the first time, this isn't where you start. But for listeners already attuned to her voice and what she does with older material, Loverly landed with real credibility. The Guardian's John Fordham called it one of her most satisfying albums in some time. The Guardian and The Buffalo News both gave it top marks, and PopMatters went five out of five — which tells you the jazz audience took this seriously.
What works here is the clarity of choice. Wilson doesn't rearrange these standards into unrecognizable shapes or bury them under production. She sings them with the respect of someone who understands what made them durable in the first place, while the band — especially Babalola's contributions — keeps things from feeling museumlike. The album won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2008, which meant it reached beyond the usual jazz radio listener. It's the kind of record that rewards repeated listening, particularly if you care about how a great voice can find new angles in material that's been sung hundreds of times.
Who's playing
Lonnie Plaxicodouble bass
Jason Moranpiano
Marvin Sewellguitar
Herlin Rileydrums
Lekan Babalolapercussion
Where next?
More by Cassandra Wilson
All 12 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
