Cassandra Wilson performed at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel on Friday, 13 February, with a band that included Eric Lewis on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, Marvin Sewell on guitar and a drummer whose name escapes me.
Supposed "cabaret seating" was in reality rows of metal folding chairs in order to accommodate a sellout crowd. The sound was less than perfect, with Plaxico being difficult to hear, and Wilson often lost in the mix as well. (I actually thought it ironic that her current record producer has said that her last two albums have featured her in contexts that showcase her voice, as opposed to earlier recordings in settings with instrumentation that tended to blend too well with her voice, and obscure it, yet in a concert situation she reverts to the traditional jazz small group setup those albums avoid.)
The set was quite good, Wilson's voice was excellent. Sewell played the blues ("Come On In My Kitchen") but I'd say in a somewhat dry although technically accomplished way. He's better when he doesn't try so hard to "get down". Plaxico was not featured, nor was the drummer, but the pianist did have an extended solo that got dissonant, and brought the crowd to its feet.
More exciting than hearing Cassandra for the first time was hearing the unadvertised opening act, Pete LaRoca Sims. The surprise I felt when I saw his name as we walked into the hotel turned into shock when the band actually took to the stage: Chico Freeman on soprano sax, Joe Ford on tenor sax, Jimmy Owens on flugelhorn, Walter Booker on bass, and Francesca Tanksley on piano. I know that Wilson would have sold out even without an opening act, but you'd think an all-star band like that would have deserved a mention, at least. (The Inquirer review did not even mention La Roca.)
They did an hour's worth of standards, very straight-ahead, very fine playing. The sound was not well balanced at first, the bass was barely audible, but was adjusted after the first number. Why the balance was so off for Plaxico and the main attraction is a mystery.