Customer Reviews

Traveling Miles

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As I grow older and demand something more interesting and innovative to listen to ,yet produce a rewarding result,I am constantly prepared to persevere with something conceptual and unusual.This tribute to Miles Dewey Davis, and a showcase to the talent and ambition of Ms Wilson,is just such a recording. From the outset this is an adult work,at times not quite hitting the mark,but bursting with genuine emotion and interpretative understanding that Miles would have surely approved.

I would recommend that this CD be listened to at least four or five times before passing any form of judgement..in fact it is playing as I type this review.It is a multi layered and complicated and yet at times jazzy and delicate, being a showcase for Ms Wilson's at times,*whiskey and cigarette* voice and at other times husky and melancholy delivery.At all times her vocals are interesting,and I note a pleasing duet with another great voice,Angelique Kidjo,on the final cut,Voodoo Reprise.Ms Wilson 's range is substantial and hynotic on this CD.I will, with relish, listen to her previous recordings of jazz standards and blues influenced material,for a further fix.

The CD opens with one of the stronger tracks,Run The Voodoo Down,and closes with a Reprise.The music of Miles Davis is complimented by the lyrics of Ms Wilson perfectly and this is an interpretive funky fusion of Afro beats and deep earthy vocals which set a pace that is continued throughout the CD.In fact praise should be given to the musicians on this CD,especially to the percussion and base credits of Lonnie Plaxico on acoustic base on most tracks and Jeffrey Haynes on percussion.It is pleasing to see a jazz artist stretch the boundaries and include mandolin,greek bazouki,harmonica,and an assortment of guitar variations.The result is not always consistent and lends to the listener overcoming a wave of acoustic string and jazz rock fusion sounds played at frantic pace on some tracks and then a slowing of the pace to a more melancholy jazz or blues feel.

My overall assessment is that this CD is a worthy addition to your collection.I recommend to you the beautiful interpretation of the Cyndi Lauper written,*Time After Time*with its soft emotional and melancholy delivery.I believe that this version ranks with the excellent interpretation of Eva Cassidy,and makes this song one of the truely great vehicles for interpretive singing in the last 20 years.There are the interpretations of Tutu and Blue in Green,Resurrection Blues and Sky and Sea,which are innovative and ambitious deliveries,worthy of contunal plays. The soft and sensual jazz delivery of the former gives way to a more acoustic interpretation of the later.I would also recommend Piper as a pleasing track. The Afro almost middle east feel that permeates through the later half of the CD,coupled with Ms Wilson's jazz influenced voice makes listening to this a rewarding experience.Whether listened to alone or with another,give yourself time to appreciate this music and you will find it growing on you.If you love percussion based music this is equally a delight.

This does require your undivided attention for the initial listenings and is something savoured.It is not easy listening,but it is different, adult and rewarding,and after the final track has played you must remember that it was dedicated to a true innovator of modern music whose music required you to earn the joy it provided. I give this 4 stars which will probably rise to 5 as I appreciate it more.Call it a workout for your senses...get fit!!!!!

Excellent tribute to my favorite artist, Miles Dewey Davis. This is music that you listen to in the dark, from another room with your eyes closed and you take this beautiful voyage riding on the deep and soulful voice of Cassandra Wilson. She flows so well and reaches deep inside and when you do open your eyes, it is only to put this CD on repeat and succumb to her entrancing voice. "Sky and Sea"(Blue and Green) is outstanding and her cover of "Time after time" had to impress Cyndy Lauper and definetly make Miles smile. One to keep in the carousel.

I've been a fan of Cassandra Wilson's song stylings since I picked up Blue Skies, a album of jazz standards. Her smoky alto and impeccable delivery were magnificent and made me a fan forever. I will admit that it took some time for Traveling Miles to grow on me. I love her voice and would listen to her sing just about anything, but I wasn't feeling this CD immediately -- it seemed a little skittish what with her eclectic influences. But I soon realized that her eclectic sensibilities are what makes her one of my favorite artists.

This album is a wonderful tribute to the late great Miles Davis. Whether they be songs that were written by Miles (to which Cassandra has written lyrics), or songs that Miles covered himself, or the 3 songs completely written by Cassandra, I think, no, I know, that Miles would be very happy with this album. She has a knack of creating a beautiful jazz atmosphere, using instruments that are not traditionally associated with jazz, like the greek bazouki and mandocello. This album will transport you to a small, intimate, after hours jazz club. Close your eyes, relax, and let your mind wander. This is a wonderful album...a must have for jazz lovers.

This album is wonderful, I can't take it out of my CD player. The New York Times recommended it as one of several releases in 1999 that adults would really enjoy and they are absolutely right. Ms. Wilson has taken Miles Davis' music and put her own stamp on it and the result is beautiful. It's not all Miles, however. In particular, I enjoy her version of Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time. It sheds new light on that song. I would recommend this album to anyone with even the slightest interest in jazz. It's really quite a find.

first off you have to have your thang in order to do miles cuz you can't fake on miles.with that said cassandra wilson does the man justice.her voice goes hand in hand with some of miles landmarks.it's a very rich album

It is a particularly difficult thing to do, recreating the spirit of a musician with such a enormous persolity as Miles through a tribute album, without falling in mannerism or without simply copying the original. Cassandra didin't go wrong here, proving to be a true artist (like John McLaughlin in his tribute to Bill Evans). She tributed Miles here recreating his blackness, his sophisticated use of space and his sense of harmony but without coping him. The music here is both Davis and Wilson. It's not atribute in a sense, it is Miss Wilson who meets Miles Davis. I really feel Miles's spirit in these voodo, black arrangements when you have slide or acoustic guitars and percussions for example, and I feel his presence too in the way Cassandra use wide spaces in tunes such as Tutu or Blue in green. The totally absence of virtuosisms, the will to tell a story and to give each note weight .. this is truly what Miles was about essentially and you can find him here in these tunes. The ones I love the most are the opener, Someday my prince will come, Tutu and Blue in green. They are original versions of these songs, absolutly not common or already heard versions. I think that you have to be really courageous to realize an album such as this one, tributing Miles but injecting in this music your own vision. You have to be a true artist, such as Cassandra. My plause! Morevoer I think this album could be enjoyed by the jazz novices too because it is not a difficult album, it maintains a sense of natural easyness.. and it has a very contemporary, interesting atmosphere with nice sounds. Very good. I'd give four stars and a half it it was an option. I choose five against four because it's very rare to find an artist with enough personality to do things like this.

This album is pure genius (never mind the NY Times review), from a truly underrated musical genius. Pure jazz fans will love this album and for those who are searching, Wilson's voice has a down-home feel to it, like she's welcoming you to Sunday dinner. The experience for me, a native of the south, is sometimes ethereal. It's pure, not filled up with repetitious gospel chorus in the background, but with music that fills the soul. She also is sometimes thought of as an "alternative jazz" artist because she uses acoustic guitars, which can make her music sound "folksy". I don't think Wilson is too concerned about labels, yet it's clear she is deeply rooted in the music of the Mississippi Delta, as any listener can attest to. I've had this album since its release in '99 and I never tire of it! There are some notable songs: "Sky and Sea (Blue in Green)", "Time after Time" (Lauper's old tune), and "Piper". All her music is a wonder to listen to, but this album is definitely one of her greats. She does Miles justice and then some!

Before listening to this album, listen to the original "Blue in Green" from Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" album at least a dozen times. Listen enough so that you begin to anticipate every note from his trumpet. Then, and only then, listen to Cassandra's version (Sky and Sea) on this album. You'll appreciate it that much more. Also, get Cassandra's homage to the blues, Blue Light 'Til Dawn.

This is an amazing recording. Cassandra Wilson uses her voice as an instrument of the highest level. She sets the gold standard for modern jazz vocalists, with her velvet smooth sound. Her interpretation of these Miles Davis standards brings a fresh viewpoint to well known and often copied songs. She is true to the feeling and emotion that Miles brought to these songs. I only wish Miles and Cassandra were able to collaborate on this recording.