music matters

Song
St. James Infirmary by Cassandra Wilson

Back story
Cassandra Wilson is an adventurous jazz singer blessed with a gorgeous, husky alto voice. She is not afraid to take chances, and has explored funk, jazz, blues, pop, folk, and everything in between. She became one of the most admired vocalists of the 90′s, and continues to make great music in 2010. She has a new album, Silver Pony, coming out sometime later this year.

Why this song
This song is taken from her excellent 2008 release, Loverly. The album is mostly standards, and Cassandra and her band demonstrate how to breathe new life into the endlessly covered American songbook. St. James Infirmary was made famous by Louis Armstrong nearly 100 years ago, but here the song is transformed from a dirge into a soulful, funky, mid-tempo blues. The excellent band includes guitarist Marvin Sewell, bassists Reggie Veal and Lonnie Plaxico, drummer Herlin Riley, percussionist Lekan Babalola, and pianist Jason Moran.

More info
Song origins
All About Jazz
All Music

Check it out

This was performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2008. The lineup is similar the the album version, with the exception of Jonathan Batiste on piano instead of Jason Moran. The extended guitar intro really sets the funky and slightly steamy mood. This live version features extended guitar and piano solos. Unfortunately, the ending appears to be cut off abruptly, but it at least gives you a taste of Cassandra’s live performance energy.

This is the album version.

Buy it
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