Vocalist Cassandra Wilson keeps growing. Her latest album, Thunderbird, produced by songwriter, guitarist and producer T Bone Burnett, is a fine example of this. On this CD she strings together an entire collection of styles. But the Southern romance that can even take on an icy appearance, as on her hit CD Belly of the Sun, has remained. With beautiful interpretations of originals like Red River Valley and Easy Rider, her music is deeply rooted in the rich blues traditions of her native region. There is also a lighter version with pop and R&B accents that lift and take away her sensuous voice in a playful manner. She is one of the most original jazz vocalists on the present 'jazzscape'. She learned a lot in the eighties in the New York M-Base improvisation collective centering on saxophonist Steve Coleman. She found her musical identity in the years following that episode in the almost twelve albums that she recorded. Through mostly acoustic works - including standards, by the way - she has developed an individual recognizable style that seems to reflect her soul.
