November 13-19, 2003

musicpicks

Cassandra Wilson/ Jason Moran and The Bandwagon

On the surface, this Blue Note Records double-bill presents a study in contrasts: Wilson’s the earthy, down-home crooner, while Moran is a piano sophisticate with high-minded ideals. Go beyond the surface, though, and you’ll see what unites the two. Wilson’s newest, Glamoured, shimmers with a streamlined worldliness. Her percussive take on Bob Dylan’s "Lay Lady Lay" may come across as flippant, but she gives Willie Nelson’s "Crazy" a pitch-perfect vulnerability. And her original tunes -- like the drifty "Sleight of Time" -- resound with warmth. As does The Bandwagon, the latest offering from Moran. Recorded at the Village Vanguard, the album shows just how earthy Moran, bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits can get, even on their more conceptual flights. The trio could safely be described as one of the most original units working in the jazz mainstream. Throw Wilson in the mix and you have a night of jazz that refuses classification.

Fri., Nov. 14, 8 p.m., $26-$68, Kimmel Center, 260 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999.

—Kyle Parker

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