Review – Cassandra Wilson

You could say I was under-prepared for this one. Not only was I running late, because trams, but this wasn’t even meant to be my review – I was filling in for another reviewer who had to go record a podcast, but unlike them I had no idea what I was in for. Cassandra Wilson is, according to Time, America’s best singer, while I’m a pretty undiscerning listener (go Carly Rae!). How do you frame a review when you basically feel like Homer Simpson at the opera?

I shouldn’t have worried. As a goon aficionado can appreciate that a 1983 Penfolds Grange is something special, and worth savouring, I found Cassandra’s singing to be rich, warm and enveloping. I’m in no doubt that her music is technical and brilliant, but I didn’t feel like I needed to produce a diploma in musical appreciation to enjoy its performance. From the moment I took my seat – I was late, you’ll remember, and the band was already into a richly-textured instrumental piece by the time I was ushered in – I knew I was in for something rare and unique. The musicians had an organic chemistry; at times pushing each other towards a wholesome cacophony, at other times relinquishing the spotlight to allow one another to indulge in an extended solo. Cassandra herself was happy to pull off to the side, when the song asked it of her, to be the backup dancer to her own show. It was a truly collaborative affair, and a delight to see these talented and accomplished musicians not so much play the songs, but let them out for an airing.

Cassandra Wilson has won accolades from all over for her talents as a crossover artist, and no one is in any doubt of her talents as a singer and composer. But she is also a gracious host, a sublime entertainer and a wonderful guide to the worlds of jazz, blues, country, folk and pop. It was a lovely and unexpected pleasure to be an audience to her performance.