Artistic Director Speaks – Cassandra Wilson and Bobby McFerrin (May 22, 2014)
(by Ken Pickering)
Twitter: @ken_pickering
FB: https://www.facebook.com/ken.pickering.969
Whilst in flight en route to Bremen, Germany for the Jazz Ahead conference last month I noticed a very good article / interview with the great singer Cassandra Wilson in Lufthansa’s in flight magazine to promote her European tour. Needless to say I was very impressed; pretty darned hip promotion not only in Europe, but even closer to home, especially in light of the fact that Ms Wilson returns to the Jazz Festival on our side of the pond after too long of an absence for an appearance at the Vogue Theatre, June 29th with her crackerjack band.
As a long time fan, I first became aware of Cassandra Wilson’s rarified deep smoky voice in the mid 80’s through her guest appearances on three tracks on New Air Show No. 1 (Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins, Pheeroan AkLaff) on Soul Note and her work with the founder of the M-Base collective in Brooklyn, Steve Coleman – Motherland Pulse (1985) – in the mid 80’s.
Up to that point she had been largely focused on the standard jazz repertoire but began to move towards developing her own original material through Coleman’s influence. Studies with Grachan Moncur 111 and deep listening to Betty Carter and Abbey Lincoln prepared her for ambitious complex non-song based projects with innovative saxophonist / composer Steve Coleman. This led her to the German JMT label and a series of individualistic triumphant albums under her own name (and collaborations with Coleman) through the late 80’s beginning with Point of View. Her most popular album through that period was Blue Skies – ironically a set of wonderful renditions of some great tunes from the great American songbook that brought her widespread attention, yet her significant breakthrough came when she signed to Blue Note and released the Craig Street produced masterpiece Blue Light ‘til Dawn in 1993. That album was a knockout with cover versions of Robert Johnson, the Monkees, Hank Williams and Joni Mitchell. Her interpretations of a diverse and wide range of material has paved the way for jazz singers to move beyond the standard songbook and that influence continues to this day. Her version of Black Orpheus at the Vitoria-Gastiez Festival in Spain. Here's an amazing take on that old chestnut Caravan.
Cassandra Wilson is one of the great singers in this or any other era, never standing still or resting on her laurels she continued to expand her repertoire by incorporating country, blues and folk music into her work. Although her music is most often categorized as jazz and is certainly recognizable as such by most listeners, she’s very comfortable to define her music as part of the continuum Nicholas Payton calls Black American Music.
Erudite scribe and card carrying member of the jazz twitter-brigade, Richard Scheinin (San Jose Mercury News) has a very high opinion of Cassandra Wilson and has included her in his 12 most important living jazz musicians. Read. I'm sympathetic with Richard sentiments; there’s little doubt in my mind that Ms. Wilson’s music will stand the test of time.
Her first visit to the festival goes back to 1995. My last encounter with her music in the live context was a superb mesmerizing performance at The Blue Note in NYC a couple of years ago. Her bands are uniformly excellent and serve her music well. Her concert at the Vogue should be a fitting end to this year's festival.
His website nails it – “listening to Bobby McFerrin sing may be hazardous to your preconceptions. Side effects may include unparalleled joy, a new perspective on creativity, rejection of the predictable, and a sudden, irreversible urge to lead a more spontaneous existence”. Check out this wicked version of Joshua with his spirityouall band.
Bobby McFerrin’s arrival in the early 80’s was somewhat monumental and mind expanding; it wasn’t long before his talent was universally acknowledged and it wasn't long before he took his destined place in the pantheon of modern jazz greats. His first three albums dated from 1982, 1984 and 1986.
Bobby McFerrin takes me back to an earlier time in my life; and as I reflect on the era of those first albums that were released back in the days of vinyl records and my time overseeing the Black Swan Records shop on 4th Avenue I remember very well, the excitement that this amazing new vocalist was creating in the jazz world. He was working with a cross section of the best talents in jazz and beyond from the get go. Jazz legends such as Victor Feldman, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, Jon Hendricks, Manhattan Transfer to comedian Robin Williams and singer / songwriter Phoebe Snow factored in on his earliest albums.
His talent would eventually transcend the jazz audience and cross over to the mainstream music audience with the release of his biggest hit – 1988’s Don’t Worry Be Happy on the album Simple Pleasures – a tune that was composed and recorded almost as an afterthought to the session at the very last minute. It amazes that this break out album featured only Bobby’s voice with overdubbing.
Since the 80’s McFerrin has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (Creative Chair since 1994) and has conducted orchestras worldwide. His projects include his legendary solo shows, voicestra, VOCAbuLarieS, bobble and variety of collaborations and special projects with some of the world’s highest profile artists.
The first Vancouver International Jazz Festival took place in 1986 and Bobby McFerrin was in our lineup – in fact he was included on a tremendous triple bill with Tony Williams Quintet and Tito Puente at the long defunct Expo Theatre.
Somehow it feels almost surreal that it’s taken us 29 years to get him back to the festival - his latest project is – spirityouall – a re-imagining of Americana, spirituals and original songs with his rock solid kick ass band. Better late than never - don’t miss this concert, the man is truly a living legend! At the Orpheum Theatre - Sunday, June 22nd
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