NEW YORK—The extraordinary jazz singer Cassandra Wilson has a distinctive contralto voice. She produces a dark, smoky sound that is at home with the blues and sultry ballads. Visually, though, she always seems ebullient and exudes charm. She was in top form at her recent show at the Blue Note club.
Before she came out, her band performed an instrumental piece featuring harmonica virtuoso Grégoire Maret. Then, Wilson appeared and showed off her Mississippi roots with Robert Johnson’s “Come On In My Kitchen.” Her interpretation was as fresh as it was when she recorded it for her breakthrough album, “Blue Light ’Til Dawn.”
She reminded the audience that this is the 20th anniversary of that recording. She not only sounds the same, but she even looks the same as she did on the album cover.
Wilson performed Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey” (also on the “Blue Light” album), outdoing even the composer’s soulful original version.
Perhaps the high point of the set was Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman.” Though she changed the lyrics from first person to third person, it became far more personal and emotional than Glen Campbell’s hit recording.
Her backup band was excellent, with Brandon Ross on guitar, John Davis on drums, John Cowherd on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Grégoire Maret on harmonica.
Wilson performed one number in Portuguese, a tribute to the late Cesaria Evora, who was known as the “barefoot diva” and was the leading singer of morna, a bluesy type of song from Cape Verde.
Wilson even injected some feeling into the Monkees’ bubblegum hit “The Last Train to Clarksville.” She scatted at the beginning and in the middle, but when she sang “And I don’t know when I’ll be coming home,” she conveyed the full meaning of the lyric about a soldier going off to the Vietnam War and fearful that he might not return.
Wilson also sang some of her own thoughtful originals.
I always enjoy the Blue Note club (131 W 3rd St., 212-475-8592, www.bluenote.net/newyork/index.shtml) because, in addition to seeing top-tier jazz musicians, I invariably meet friendly people from all over the world. Many come to the club when they arrive in this country, without even knowing who is appearing. At our table were a group of young women from Japan and a couple from Massachusetts spending the weekend in the city.
Coming up at Blue Note are Chick Corea and Vigil (Sept. 24–29), Lou Donaldson Quartet (Oct. 1–3), McCoy Tyner Quintet featuring Gary Bartz and John Blake Jr. (Oct. 4–6), and the great alto saxophonist Phil Woods (Oct. 15–16). The terrific jazz singer Nicole Henry will perform at Sunday brunches on Nov. 3, 10, 17, and 24.
