Al Green
Lay It Down
Blue Note Records

Cassandra Wilson
Loverly
Blue Note Records

Wynton Marsalis & Willie Nelson
Two Men With The Blues
Blue Note Records
By George W. Harris

Three recent releases by well known vocalists show the wide range of music that can be labeled “jazz” in this present day and age. Not only that, but each release testifies to the importance of “finding your own voice”, something that seems all too rare in this day when everyone wants to either follow the paths of Krall, Jones, or the modern Rat Pack. Each singer here is comfortable with his or her God given talent, and uses it in a way that frames it in a most welcome fashion.

And speaking of welcome, it’s nice to welcome the Reverend Al Green back into the secular world, where he can hopefully minister to his worldwide flock. After dropping out of the R&B scene to pastor his church in Memphis, Green came back a few years ago, and has since put out a couple of releases on the Blue Note label. This one, which is co-produced by James Poyson and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson instead of long time associate Willie Mitchell, is easily his best release since “Belle” back in 77. His voice, enriched from preaching The Word is confident with that classic tinge of vulnerability. Gospel-tinged and soulful tunes like the title track and “You’ve Got The Love I Need” have that classic mix of grit and Sunday preaching that made Green a star 30 years ago. The bluesy organ lurking underneath the slinky “What More Do You Want From ME” and the lazy Sunday morning feel of “Take Your Time” is irresistible. John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Corinne Bailey Rae join in on a number of tracks, adding to the “testifying” feel to this wonderful disc. This is the next best thing to seeing him at his church, just down the road from Graceland!

Cassandra Wilson seems most comfortable in a musical environment that feels like the back porch of rural South. Caressing a set of jazz and pop standards, her latter-day-Vaughan voice is molasses-rich as she lazily swings through “Black Orpheus.” While she shows she can groove with the best of them on the bebopping “Lover Come Back To Me”, she seems most at home sounding regretful and dreamy, as she does on the African grooved “Gone With The Wind” and “Caravan”. On her vocal/guitar duet on “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most”, you can almost see the fireflies dancing in the dark. It is on these types of tunes (and most of the tunes are of this genre), when she mixes the red clay of the South with the lilt of Tin Pan Alley, that Ms. Wilson comes across as the beacon of musical light that she promised to be a number of years ago. This is easily her most confident and rewarding release in recent memory; hopefully she’ll be with this band when she comes to the Bowl in July.

Meanwhile Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis get together for a concert that celebrates all that is right about “feel good” jazz. Picking up where Louis Jordan and the Tympany 5 left off, M&N put out a disc that harkens back to the day when blues, jazz and jump were all the rage. This kind of music, which is wonderfully demonstrated by the likes of “Caldonia” and “Bright Lights Big City” shows the power and allure of boogie woogie: simple, irresistible and down right fun, it brought more people into the jazz fold than a thousand John Coltrane solos. Nelson’s leathered voice is custom made and untaxed (pun intended) for these good time tunes. “Marsalis’ solo and vocal duet with Nelson on “Basin Steet Blues” and “Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do” capture the joy of jazz. You can dance, sit and listen, or just sit back against the wall and listen to these cats, but most probably you’ll probably want to sing along with Willie on “Stardust”, and you just won’t find a better partner. Get this guy in front of a big band while we’ve still got the time. Funnest music I’ve heard in months.