She Who Weeps
Cassandra Wilson's molasses contralto, akin to R&B;, is wholly her own even though fully informed by jazz-vocals history. Here in 1990 she fully arrives as an interpreter of both her own and others' material. Her inflection and shading are wonderfully varied, as are her classically trained sense of pacing and form, and her command of dramatic delivery. The instrumental coloration, not yet as distinctive as on her later Blue Note releases, nonetheless effectively augments her voice's saxlike elaborations of the melodies. She has ideal accompaniment here, particularly pianist Rod Williams and percussionist Tani Tabbal. The highlight is the painfully fragile title track, a devastating lullaby from a mother who assures her baby, but cannot convince herself, that "your daddy's coming back."--Peter Monaghan