Loverly is a studio album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, released in 2008 via Blue Note label. This is her second-ever album of jazz standards.[12] Loverly won the Grammy Award as the Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2008.[13]

Loverly
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 10, 2008
RecordedAugust 13–17, 2007
StudioPetit Bois Studios, Jackson, MS
GenreJazz
Length1:00:43
LabelBlue Note
ProducerCassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson chronology
Thunderbird
(2006)
Loverly
(2008)
Silver Pony
(2010)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [2]
All About Jazz(favorable) [3]
The Buffalo News[4]
The Guardian[5]
laut.de[6]
PopMatters8/10[7]
The Press[8]
Rolling Stone [9]
Tom HullA−[10]
Toronto Star[11]

Reception

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Andy Gill of The Independent wrote: "For Loverly, she reverts to the bread-and-butter of traditional jazz vocals, with a set consisting almost entirely of standards recorded with a small combo featuring the exploratory piano of Jason Moran and the diffident guitar of Marvin Sewell. The decisive player, however, is Nigerian percussionist Lekan Babalola, whose polyrhythmic flurries perk up Duke Ellington's 'Caravan' and a version of 'Gone With the Wind' whose elegant unison guitar and piano recalls Steely Dan."[14] John Fordham of The Guardian state: " It's one of this enigmatic artist's most satisfying albums in a long time."[5] The Buffalo News review by Jeff Simon noted, "...that's what "Loverly" is—the jazz vocal disc of the year, thus far, at the very least. No one else could have made this disc. It's joy from beginning to end."[4]

Kathryn Shackleton of BBC commented: "Cassandra Wilson is best known for singing originals and unusual covers, but standards are where she started. Loverly was produced in a rented house in her Mississippi hometown, with assembled invited musician friends who got down to the business of recording then and there. It’s impressive to hear the class and character Cassandra has injected into these 20th century songs."[15] John Bungey of The Times added: "Wilson’s smoky alto remains one of the most beguiling sounds in jazz and blues."[16]

Track listing

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  1. "Lover, Come Back to Me" (Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 4:16
  2. "Black Orpheus (Manhã de Carnaval)" (Luiz Bonfá, Antônio Maria) – 4:58
  3. "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" (Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe) – 5:02
  4. "Gone With the Wind" (Herb Magidson, Allie Wrubel) – 5:51
  5. "Caravan" (Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol, Irving Mills) – 4:23
  6. "'Til There Was You" (Meredith Willson) – 6:42
  7. "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" (Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf) – 5:01
  8. "Arere" (Babalola, Moran, Plaxico, Riley, Sewell, Wilson) – 5:42
  9. "St. James Infirmary" (Irving Mills) – 4:40
  10. "Dust My Broom" (Elmore James, Robert Johnson) – 4:46
  11. "The Very Thought of You" (Ray Noble) – 4:47
  12. "A Sleepin' Bee" (Harold Arlen, Truman Capote) – 4:35

Personnel

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Chart positions

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Year Chart Position
2008 Billboard Top Jazz Albums 3
Billboard Heatseekers 19

References

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  1. ^ "LOVERLY by Cassandra Wilson". Metacritic. metacritic.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  2. ^ Jurek, Thom. Loverly at AllMusic
  3. ^ All About Jazz review
  4. ^ a b Jeff, Simon (6 June 2008). "Discs". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b Fordham, John (6 June 2008). "Cassandra Wilson, Loverly". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  6. ^ Kopp, Kai. "Einfach nur ein nettes Album mit bekannten Jazzstandards" (in German). laut.de. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  7. ^ HAROLD, CLAUDRENA N. (12 June 2008). "Cassandra Wilson: Loverly". PopMatters. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Cassandra Wilson, Loverly (Blue Note)". The Press. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  9. ^ Rolling Stone review[dead link]
  10. ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Cassandra Wilson". Tom Hull. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  11. ^ Infantry, Ashante (10 June 2008). "Cassandra Wilson: Loverly". Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  12. ^ Infantry, Ashante (June 10, 2008). "Cassandra Wilson: Loverly". The Star. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  13. ^ "Cassandra Wilson". GRAMMY.com. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  14. ^ Gill, Andy (6 June 2008). "Album: Cassandra Wilson, Loverly (Blue Note)". The Independent. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  15. ^ Shackleton, Kathryn (2008). "BBC Review". BBC. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  16. ^ Bungey, John (31 May 2008). "Cassandra Wilson: Loverly". The Times. Retrieved 24 January 2019.