Cassandra Wilson - She Who Weeps

Personnel: Cassandra Wilson (vocals); Rod Williams (piano); Paul Bourelly (guitar); Reggie Washington, Herman Fowlkes, Kevin Bruce Harris (electric bass); Tani Tabbal, Mark Johnson (drums). Recorded at Systems Two, Brooklyn, New York between July & December 1990. Personnel: Cassandra Wilson (vocals, drum programming); Jean-Paul Bourelly (guitar); Rod Williams (piano); Herman Fowlkes, Kevin Bruce Harris, Reggie Washington (electric bass); Mark Johnson, Tani Tabbal (drums). Recording information: Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY (07/1990-12/1990). Illustrator: Diana Klein. She Who Weeps is a transition set of sorts for Cassandra Wilson. Having had good notices for her Blue Skies album (which found her interpreting standards in a style similar to Betty Carter), Wilson performs "Chelsea Bridge" and "Body and Soul. " Most of the other selections still use the free funk rhythms that were a carryover from the singer's association with Steve Coleman and the M-Base players, although no horns are present this time around, just a three- or four-piece rhythm section. Interesting but not overly memorable music.