Monday, July 11, 2005

Tupelo Honey

In my last blog I mentioned that I was impressed by Swedish TV's recent willingness to show quality concerts. Tonight, I have enjoyed a concert with vocalist Cassandra Wilson and her excellent band. I had the great pleasure of hearing Wilson live two years ago at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Excellent stuff then, excellent stuff on the telly now.

Cassandra Wilson is one of my favourite vocalists ever. In her case, it's because of her husky low voice and her impeccable and flexible sense of rhythm. Very laid back, relaxed and self-assured. Having good songs always helps. As does a remarkable presence onstage. Ms Wilson's got 'em all.

My girlfriend and me only have a few artists we both like a lot. Björk, Peter Gabriel and Cassandra Wilson are three examples. We also agree that with Cassandra Wilson, you should go for the Blue Note albums. On these, you will find the best versions of The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville" you are likely to hear as well as Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm" done far better than the grumpy old man himself and modernized versions of old blues chesnuts. And yes, her take on "Tupelo Honey" is sweeter than Van Morrison's original version.

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