Whose Birthday?

Driving ambling around Tres Leches today, in our wondrously wintry 81 degrees Fahrenheit, I stumbled onto KRTU's lunchtime jam celebrating jazz diva Cassandra Wilson's "birthday." I invert those commas, my brothers and sisters, because it has long been my impression that CW's birthday in JacksonMississippi was December 4, 1955. This has been tattooed inside my skull for two reasons: I adore Ms W's smoky husk and December 4th is the day after mi bambino's December 3rd birthday. Every time I heard the dj reiterate the December 26th (and no, this was not an archived show) celebration, my lint collector brain sparked in minor umbrage. Such is my penchant for lowbrow drama. Yes, I did indeed email KRTU with my contrasting information, but I also took the occasion as reason enuff to also become, finally, a member of this very fine jazz station. If I'm gonna complain AND enjoy an awesome CW set, I might as well pay for the privilege.

And what a privilege. Pulling into the Whole Foods parking lot, Mr. Aaron Prado laid down a gorgeous track: Cassandra's cover of Joni Mitchell's already gorgeous "For the Roses." O...my...Lord.

Happy Birthday to us all. The world just got reinvented.

Twice this year, Ms Cassandra reinvented my worlds: this lovely cover and, earlier, as I was scouring the playlist.com site, and stumbled over her seminal version of Jimi's "The Wind Cries Mary" (you know how many levels that's gonna hit me on). God is good, my brothers and sisters.

Ms Cassandra and I go back to my conversion with her New Moon Daughter CD, and I wish I could say we went back even further. You see, as I was first snarfing up as much CW info as I could find ten years ago, I discovered that we went to high school in Jackson at the same time; I graduated a year before she did. I wondered, I did, in my bemused, self-absorbed head, if I "might have been her President," referring in my goofiness to having been the Callaway High School Student Body President in 1970-1971. Alas, no: Ms (then) Cassandra Fowlkes graduated across town from Murrah High School the following year.

While I've been writing this, CW's "For the Roses" has replayed several times on my newly installed Amazon MP3 player (installed just so I could nab this beauty with some extra Amazon pennies I had left over from Sister Laura's birthday present to me). I wish I could share the "power and the glory" of the sunseting smoky cicada husk that is this glorious voice, but I ain't figured it out just yet. But, go to the song ye must: Rhapsody's got it in their database; sadly, playlist.com does not (unless I can now upload it: we'll see). For another slice of Cassandra nirvana, Paschal's Playlist in the blog margin has her "WInd Cries Mary."

I suggest you run, don't walk. Your head will be aching until you do. CW will do the hand-laying.