The American Cassandra Wilson is one of the few original jazz vocalists in present-day jazz. She is an enchanting woman with long dreadlocks who manages to put forward her femininity in her music, in spite of, or maybe precisely because of, her low alto voice. While most female singers consistently make use of the whole 'Realbook' (the standard work for musicians containing a large array of jazz standards), which often results in glamour jazz arranged right down to the last detail, Wilson goes beyond this. She gained insight in the eighties mainly in the New York M-Base improvisation collective associated with saxophonist Steve Coleman. She established her musical identity in the following years, during the process of creating twelve albums. By way of mostly acoustic work - including standards, incidentally - she developed her own, recognizable style. A magnificent one, with colorful syncopation and a type of southern romance that can also take on a gruesome character. Wilson, who immersed herself in Miles Davis' work for her previous project, as can be witnessed on Traveling Miles, strings together a whole range of styles on Belly Of The Sun. This CD includes her own compositions as well as animated interpretations of jazz, blues and pop songs, like the Dylan classic 'Shelter From The Storm', nearly all recorded in an old Clarksdale train depot which had been converted to an studio. Those not yet impressed by this versatile vocalist (Time Magazine elected her the U.S.'s best female singer), is sure to be now. Her performances are magical.
