Comments for Wilson, Cassandra, New Moon Daughter

Only an artist as talented as Cassandra Wilson could compile covers by Billie Holiday, U2, Hank Williams, the Monkees, and Neil Young, throw in a Hoagy Carmichael jazz standard and a blues classic, and toss off five of her own eloquent and innovative tunes and come up with one of the best albums of 1995. "Eclectic" in Webster`s Dictionary probably sports a picture of Cassandra next to it these days, and the music industry is all the richer for it. Sparse, expansive, and richly beautiful, "New Moon Daughter" is the commercial and critical breakthrough for an artist all too deserving of it, as with the same project she has reached an artistic peak. Her chilling interpretations of "Strange Fruit" and "Death Letter" give new meaning to a couple of already-eerie and challenging pieces; her stellar readings of U2`s "Love is Blindness" and Neil Young`s "Harvest Moon" take both of the tunes to new heights. And as for her version of "Last Train to Clarksville," the effect of a smoky-voiced jazz chanteuse turning the ultimate piece of commercial pop to a jazzy classic simply must be heard to be believed. And on the matter of her own compositions, unique and distinctive are two adjectives that don`t quite begin to cover it. "Find Him" and "Memphis" both have a lazy, comfortable, twangy swing to them, "Solomon Sang" is an elegant piece of pop/folk, and "A Little Warm Death" would be an interesting Latin-tinged pop/jazz piece even if it didn`t contain a provacative and haunting analogy between sexual satisfaction and a "little death." With "New Moon Daughter," Cassandra proves herself to be one of the most exciting and original jazz vocalists on the current scene, and the album triumpantly emerges as an instant classic. Fans of jazz, folk, country, or just plain pop simply MUST give this masterpiece a listen...it`s something they`ll find themselves wanting to repeat time and again.