CASSANDRA WILSON’S BILLIE HOLIDAY HOMAGE ALBUM COMING FORTH BY DAY SET FOR RELEASE FRIDAY APRIL 10th2015
PRODUCED BY NICK LAUNAY (NICK CAVE) AND FEATURING MEMBERS OF THE BAD SEEDS, T BONE BURNETT, AND STRING ARRANGEMENTS BY VAN DYKE PARKS
Sony Music Entertainment / Legacy Recordings is proud to announce thatCassandra Wilson’s homage album to Billie Holiday, COMING FORTH BY DAY is set for release on Friday April 10th, 2015.
Wilson, who has drawn inspiration from Billie Holiday for her entire life, chose the title as a way to honour the iconic singer. COMING FORTH BY DAY is an English translation of the title of the ancient Egyptian ‘Book of the Dead’; a collection of magic spells intended to assist the journey of those that have passed on through the afterlife.
Wilson has taken a characteristically fearless approach to ‘Lady Day’s’ iconic catalogue. Together with producer Nick Launay (known for his work with Nick Cave), Wilson has chosen songs that span Holiday’s tragic, abbreviated career – some lesser known and many famous. She also penned the dream-like new ‘Last Song (For Lester)’, imagined as a heartbreaking final message from Billie to her lover Lester Young.
“COMING FORTH BY DAY is an homage dedicated to the beauty, power, and genius of Billie Holiday. A collection of musical spells, prescriptions for navigating the dubious myths surrounding her life and times, this record is a vehicle for the re-emergence of Billie’s songbook in the 21st century”, saysCassandra.
The album boasts a surprising cast of characters. It was produced by Nick Launay, who has worked closely with Nick Cave for the past decade in addition to Arcade Fire and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It includes guitarists T Bone Burnettand Nick Zinner of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, string arranger Van Dyke Parks, rhythm section The Bad Seeds (drummer Thomas Wydler and bassist Martyn P. Casey) and long time Cassandra collaborators Jon Cowherd on piano and Kevin Breit on guitar.
“We set out to dig deep into the lyrics, and the meaning behind why they were written. The result is a whole new experience for the listener, both those familiar with Cassandra and newcomers. It’s moving and engaging beyond words…this one is for the ears and soul”, says producer Nick Launay.
COMING FORTH BY DAY TRACK LISTING:
Don’t Explain
Billie’s Blues
Crazy He Calls Me
You Go To My Head
All Of Me
The Way You Look Tonight
Good Morning Heartache
What A Little Moonlight Can Do
These Foolish Things
Strange Fruit
I’ll Be Seeing You
Last Song (For Lester)
About Cassandra Wilson:
Hailing from Jackson, Mississippi, American jazz musician / vocalist / songwriter / producerCassandra Wilson began playing piano at six, guitar by the age of twelve and was working as a vocalist by the mid-’70s, singing a wide variety of material.
After moving to New York City in the early 80’s, Cassandra met saxophonist Steve Colemanand became one of the founding members of the groundbreaking M-Base Collective, pioneering proponents of a structured improvisation aesthetic that continues to influence the direction of jazz, fusion and jam-based rock.
At the completion of her stint with M-Base, Cassandra signed with Blue Note Records in 1992 and released a landmark album titled BLUE LIGHT ‘TIL DAWN which paved the way for a new generation of jazz singers seeking an approach and repertoire that challenged the supremacy of the American Standard songbook. Wilson continues to interpret vintage blues, country and folk music in her repertoire.
Among her many awards and honours, Cassandra Wilson has earned two Grammys (1996, Best Jazz Vocal Performance for NEW MOON DAUGHTER; 2009, Best Jazz Vocal Album for LOVERLY); been named Down Beat’s Female Jazz Vocalist of the Year (1994-1996); received the Montreal International Jazz Festival’s Miles Davis Prize (1999); named ‘America’s Best Singer’ in Time magazine (2001); received honorary doctorate in the Arts from Millsaps College (2003); added to the Mississippi Blues Trail (2010); and taken home the BET Soul Train Award (2011, Best Traditional Jazz Album for SILVER PONY).
Cassandra Wilson performed one of the leading roles in Wynton Marsalis’ BLOOD ON THE FIELDS, the first jazz work to receive a Pulitzer Prize.
