After the Beginning Again

by Cassandra Wilson

Overview

Recorded in the summer of 1991 in New York City, After the Beginning Again features Cassandra Wilson working with M-Base refugees like pianist James Weidman, and the sort of muted jazz-funk on display here is a far cry from the more bluesy and sparse, atmospheric acoustic touches of her later Blue Note recordings. With her deep, Betty Carter-like voice and a breathy sense of phrasing, Wilson needs space to put songs across, and space is at a premium here. When she does get that space, however, things work, particularly on the tracks that have a strong emotional center that Wilson can push and pull into intimate places, like "Baubles, Bangles and Beads," which comes off wounded and soulful, thanks in no small part to Weidman's edgy, angular piano work. Wilson also manages pretty well on the Thelonious Monk chestnut "'Round Midnight," with her vocal catching the exact right mix of weariness and after-hours exhaustion on a song that has never been an easy one for singers. Another highlight here is the first recorded version of a Wilson original, "Redbone," which rides its atmospheric percussion effectively, although it is slower and perhaps a bit less striking than her later rendition on Blue Light Til Dawn. When compared to her more mature mid-'90s Blue Note releases, After the Beginning Again sounds both busier and less focused, but committed fans of Cassandra Wilson will no doubt find it interesting and revealing. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	10/05/2004
Label:	WINTER & WINTER
UPC:	0025091905829

Tracks

1. There She Goes
2. 'Round Midnight
3. Yazoo Moon
4. Sweet Black Night
5. My Corner of the Sky
6. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
7. Redbone
8. Summer Wind

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cassandra Wilson   Primary Artist,Percussion,Vocals
Vu Thi Mai Phuong   Primary Artist
Jeff Haynes   Percussion
James Weisman   Piano,Synthesizer
Mark Johnson   Drums,Percussion
James Weidman   Synthesizer,Piano,Percussion
Kevin Bruce Harris   Percussion,Bass (Electric)

Technical Credits

Cassandra Wilson   Audio Production,Producer,Mixing,Composer
Joseph Marciano   Audio Engineer,Mixing,Engineer,Digital Recording
Thelonious Monk   Composer
George Forrest   Composer
Cootie Williams   Composer
Alexander Borodin   Composer
Robert Wright   Composer
Louis Coleman   Assistant Producer
Guenter Mattei   Cover Design
Steve Byram   Design
Brad Guice   Photography
Andew Pothecary   Photography
Sandy Summers Head   Concept Consultant
Stefan Winter   Packaging
Bernie Hanighen   Composer
Kevin Bruce Harris   Composer
Joe Marciano   Mixing,Engineer
James Weidman   Composer