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"Traveling Miles"
In the Cassandra Wilson tribute to Miles
Davis, Traveling Miles, is nothing if not ambitious--easily on
par with the other slew of Davis tribs. Covering the great trumpeter's
long career is alone quite a challenge, but Wilson sets her goals
even higher by writing new lyrics and arrangements that make
these tunes her own. The result is a pleasure that ends up capturing
Wilson's spirit as well as Davis's. Never one to hew to traditional
jazz's formats,she adds acoustic and slide guitars, percussion,
harmonica, and other instruments that give the album an enormously
varied feel. "Right Here, Right Now," with its strummed
and slide guitars, wouldn't sound out of place on a Joni Mitchell
album, and her intriguing cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Time
After Time", is delicately mournful. Not that Wilson has
left jazz behind: the swinging version of "Seven Steps to
Heaven," with guest solos by violinist Regina Carter and
vibraphonist Stefon Harris, whose 1998 debut was one of the year's
promising releases, is a highlight. .--Ezra Gale |
