Cassandra Wilson: Un-Standard

Cassandra Wilson turns out hypnotic African beats à la bluesy swing on Loverly. The artist, known for transcending jazz tradition, takes a tune to roads rarely traveled. Here Wilson appears to come back home to her jazz roots. But has she? The collection of mostly standards is truly Un-Standard.

The singer inhabits the essence of each melody, making it her own. Her eclectic influences draw from a host of genres to make up the soul of each song, from the rhythmic blues of Black Orpheus and West African trance chant Arere.

I studied the standards, listening to how other singers put their swing into them. But it's hard to do standards. You can't really sing them until you understand them," reveals the artist.

Sultry vocals float above tunes elegantly but not without bite. Upbeat, blues-infused tracks "Dust My Broom," "Caravan," and "St. James Infirmary" groove off the charts. Marvin Sewell’s brilliant acoustic slide guitar is featured on "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" along with playful title track.

The self-produced recording is the culmination of a relaxed six day jam session in the singer's hometown of Mississippi. Not surprisingly, it exudes the warm and immediacy of a live set right down to the finger snaps. "I studied the standards, listening to how other singers put their swing into them. But it's hard to do standards. You can't really sing them until you understand them," reveals the artist.

Thirty two years have past since Wilson covered the American Song Book on Blue Skies. Cassandra Wilson's career marks a growing talent for unique masterful interpretations. It just keep on getting better and better. Would we expect less?