Although superficially it might appear like another tired marketing strategy, Cassandra Wilson's tribute to Miles Davis - the theme of her new CD "Traveling Miles" and her current tour - makes sense.
Perhaps the more intriguing musicians possess a precipitous equilibrium of estrogen and testosterone in their systems. Cassandra hears latent femininity behind Miles' machismo, a dichotomy that may have held the secret to his universal appeal. Her own success is also based on complex sex appeal, she comes across as very strongly "earthed" but at the same time closely in touch with a masculine side.
"The idea of the jazz musician as 'The Man' is often paradoxical, as in Miles' case, where he plays these incredibly fragile, delicate renderings of ballads and even in more raucous material, there is a sense of a feminine energy at play in the shapes he sings," says Wilson.
So what of Cassandra's own masculinity, most evident in her tenoresque voice? "Well technically I'm a contralto, that's as low as women go, but I've always utilized the lower range because I think jazz singing has a lot to do with having a conversational tone."
The vibe has always meant more to Cassandra than virtuosity and showmanship.
"I came up through marching and concert bands and our band director at Jackson State University was from the old school - a cat that stressed timbre - that the most important thing was to create a distinctive tone."
Though she has revealed the depth of her country blues influences in recent years, indicative of her upbringing in Mississippi, Wilson established her reputation at the cutting edge of urban jazz by becoming integral to Brooklyn's militantly original M-Base posse. She infiltrated a scene where others feared to tread and contributed without compromise.
"You have to be in the trenches with the guys, there's nothing fussy and cute about it. I've always had a fascination for the world of men in this music, the only way to gain access is to become a part of it. But in order to learn, you have to almost de-sexualize yourself, avoid being viewed as an object by abandoning certain feminine idiosyncrasies, because they have to see that you are a warrior."
Which means telling men what to do?
"You have to challenge them, which I did as a kid playing baseball - 'yeah, I can hit too - catch this!' I see that as being entirely feminine but our society does not."
Though predominantly male, the diverse personnel on her new CD also features vocalist Angelique Kidjo, marimba-player Cecilia Smith and violinist Regina Carter. Does she actively seek fellow women performers?
"It's whoever I cross paths with, regardless of gender. Regina Carter is one of those whose strength and creativity is beyond gender lines, she knows what the score is, she's hung."
She's what...?!
"Now I don't mean she's strapped, I mean she's hung out with the guys!" But during Cassandra's career, specific role models have been scarce. She was given a terse reception once when she attempted to befriend Betty Carter. It took a long time for her to come to terms with Betty's hardass attitude but ultimately it goaded the young singer on to make her own impact.
Nina Simone is another inimitable for whom Cassandra has affection. "I love Nina, I met her briefly at a festival in Finland but generally she's someone that I kind of steered clear of - I think I learned my lesson the first time with Betty."
At this point, Wilson has all but transcended the boundaries restricting a jazz artist, by dint of her own efforts in favoring off-beat instrumentation and material but also through record sales (her Grammy winning "New Moon Daughter" sold 650,000 copies). Contextual and production issues play a major part in the impact of her projects, and although she produced "Traveling Miles," she waxes lyrical about her recording engineers.
"I can't claim credit for how these guys set the microphones up. Dan Kopelson, who also worked on 'New Moon Daughter' and 'Blue Light Till Dawn' is truly a magician and Ray Bardani, in his different approach, is equally fascinating. We found out by accident during recording that Ray had worked with Miles." A Lincoln Center commission was the catalyst for the Davis project, and although it features versions of compositions made famous by the trumpeter, including Wayne Shorter's "ESP," Marcus Miller's "Tutu" and a spellbinding version of "Blue in Green" (retitled "Sky and Sea" and set to ethereal lyrics by Wilson), she stresses that it was meant not as reenactment but as an attempt to record impressions and emotions emanating from Miles' music: "an offering; an invocation; a rite, not repertoire."
Has she ever met the Prince of Darkness?
"I opened for him a couple of times in Innsbruck when I was with Steve Coleman and Five Elements and we shared the bill at the JVC Festival in Chicago in 1989. I was in the audience most of the time but between sets I was leaning against the wall in a hallway and Miles was about ten feet away, with his sunglasses on, propped against the other wall. We didn't speak but it was very intense. That's it, that's the story."
(John MacCalkies)
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.