Silver Pony
Encyclopedia
Silver Pony is an album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson
, released in November 2010 on Blue Note Records
. A mixture of live and studio-recorded tracks, it was produced by Wilson and John Fischbach. It includes jazz, blues and pop standards, as well as original music by Wilson and her band. Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane
and singer John Legend
make guest appearances.
The album received mixed, but generally positive, reviews from critics. Reviewers complimented Wilson's vocals and particularly enjoyed the focus on her band. More negative reviews came from critics who felt that Silver Pony was below Wilson's usual standard and contained little originality. The album reached No. 6 on the Billboard
Jazz Albums chart.
, Seville
, and Granada
as well as jazz and blues standards. The album opens with a live version of "Lover Come Back to Me", a 1920s popular song from The New Moon
by Oscar Hammerstein II
and Sigmund Romberg
. This is one of three live tracks that appeared as studio-recorded versions on Wilson's previous album, Loverly
(2008); the others are the traditional song "Went Down to St James Infirmary
" and "A Day in the Life of a Fool" by Luiz Bonfá
. "Saddle Up My Pony" is a version of the 1929 Delta blues song "Pony Blues
" by Charley Patton.
The album was produced by Wilson and John Fischbach. In addition to the recodings made on tour in Europe, the album was recorded and produced at Fischbach's Piety Street Recording
studio in New Orleans. Wilson's regular band consisted of Marvin Sewell on guitar, Jonathan Batiste
on piano, Reginald Veal on bass, Herlin Riley
on drums and Lekan Babalola on percussion. The album features guest appearances by John Legend
on "Watch the Sunrise" and a saxophone solo by Ravi Coltrane
on "Beneath a Silver Moon".
The album title and cover art are inspired by an incident from Wilson's childhood in Jackson, Mississippi
; "A man came around ... with a pony and camera, and you could pay to get your picture taken." Although Wilson's brothers were not interested, her mother allowed her to be photographed on the pony, and the image of Wilson is used on the album cover.
, Carlo Wolff
gave the album a positive review. He praised "Beneath a Silver Moon" and "Saddle Up My Pony" in particular, and described Wilson's band as "exceptional". He questioned the inclusion of the two instrumental tracks because of the change in pace they brought but said that overall, the album "reaffirms Wilson's status as a premier jazz singer". Steve Leggett of Allmusic gave the album a rating of four stars out of five. He described it as "a light, shimmering sound" and felt that despite the different styles and mix of live and studio material, the album remains cohesive. In a review for The Guardian
, John Fordham gave the album four stars out of five. He noted a continuation of "confidence and focus" from her previous album, Loverly. He described the tracklist as "powerfully compatible".
Reviewing the album for BBC Music
, John Eyles was complimentary and said that it continues a "rich vein of form" begun with 1993's Blue Light 'til Dawn
. He praised Wilson's voice and noted that with Silver Pony, her band are no longer overshadowed. Jim Farber of New York's Daily News noted the equality between Wilson and her band and the balance between her vocals and their instrumentals. He enjoyed the contrast between Wilson's soft vocals and the fast tempo of the songs and noted the seamless transitions between live and studio-recorded tracks. He praised Wilson's growth as an artist in the time since her last live recordings, on 1991's Live
. In a review for Paste
, Stephen Deusner gave Silver Pony a "commendable" rating of 7.6 out of 10. He described "Went Down to St James Infirmary" and "Saddle Up My Pony" as the best tracks on the album. He praised the band and called them the "true stars" of the album. Although he commented that Wilson voice has improved over the years, on this album he felt that she was just a "support player", and enjoyed least the songs that strongly featured her voice.
Will Layman of PopMatters
gave Silver Pony a more negative review, awarding it six stars out of ten. Although he described Wilson's vocals as "deep and delicious", and the tracks as "fun and funky", his opinion was that the album "rehashed" her Wilson's previous work. He said that although new listeners might be impressed, fans would not find anything new. He praised the band, and enjoyed the renditions of "Forty Days and Forty Nights" and "If It's Magic". However, overall he found the album "inessential and merely fine". The Independent
s Phil Johnson gave the album a similarly mixed review, suggesting that it "might mark time more than break new ground". Writing for The Daily Telegraph
, Ivan Hewlett gave the album a three star rating. He noted that is was "firmly in the territory" of Wilson's usual eclectic style, that combines blues, funk and the Great American Songbook
. He complimented Wilson's "astonishing" voice and "wonderful" band but felt that the album as a whole was "all too smooth to be really engaging".
An unnamed reviewer from the Associated Press
gave the album a rating of three and a half stars. They noted the album's mix of live and studio recordings and commented that this was Wilson "back to her trademark eclectic ways". The reviewer praised the band and particularly enjoyed their improvisation on "Lover Come Back to Me". Overall, they thought Silver Pony was "above-average", but inconsistent and below Wilson's usual standard. Writing for Boston.com
, Steve Greenlee commented that Wilson's mixed-genre style is no longer innovative, but feels natural. He particularly praised the contributions of Wilson's band members.
Jazz Albums chart and reached No. 21 on the Top Heatseekers
Albums chart.
Design
Production
Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack [who has] expanded the playing field" by incorporating country, blues and folk music into her...
, released in November 2010 on Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
. A mixture of live and studio-recorded tracks, it was produced by Wilson and John Fischbach. It includes jazz, blues and pop standards, as well as original music by Wilson and her band. Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane is an American post-bop jazz saxophonist. Co-owner of the record label RKM Music, he has produced artists such as pianist Luis Perdomo , guitarist David Gilmore and trumpeter Ralph Alessi....
and singer John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
make guest appearances.
The album received mixed, but generally positive, reviews from critics. Reviewers complimented Wilson's vocals and particularly enjoyed the focus on her band. More negative reviews came from critics who felt that Silver Pony was below Wilson's usual standard and contained little originality. The album reached No. 6 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Jazz Albums chart.
Composition and recording
Silver Pony is a jazz and blues album, with some elements of pop music. The tracks include live improvisations created by Wilson and her band on tour in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, and Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
as well as jazz and blues standards. The album opens with a live version of "Lover Come Back to Me", a 1920s popular song from The New Moon
The New Moon
The New Moon is the name of an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, and Laurence Schwab. The show was the third and last in a string of Broadway hits for Romberg written in the style of Viennese operetta...
by Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
and Sigmund Romberg
Sigmund Romberg
Sigmund Romberg was a Hungarian-born American composer, best known for his operettas.-Biography:Romberg was born as Siegmund Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Gross-Kanizsa during the Austro-Hungarian kaiserlich und königlich monarchy period...
. This is one of three live tracks that appeared as studio-recorded versions on Wilson's previous album, Loverly
Loverly
Loverly is an album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, released in 2008.-Track listing:# "Lover, Come Back to Me" – 4:16# "A Day in the Life of a Fool" – 4:58...
(2008); the others are the traditional song "Went Down to St James Infirmary
St. James Infirmary Blues
"St. James Infirmary Blues" is based on an 18th century traditional English folk song of anonymous origin, though sometimes credited to the songwriter Joe Primrose . Louis Armstrong made it famous in his influential 1928 recording.-Authorship and history:"St...
" and "A Day in the Life of a Fool" by Luiz Bonfá
Luiz Bonfá
Luiz Floriano Bonfá was a Brazilian guitarist and composer best known for the compositions he penned for the film Black Orpheus.-Biography:...
. "Saddle Up My Pony" is a version of the 1929 Delta blues song "Pony Blues
Pony Blues
"Pony Blues" is a Delta blues song composed by Charley Patton. With the help of record store owner, H. C. Speir, Patton's first recording session occurred on June 14, 1929, cut six sides, included "Pony Blues" , for Paramount Records. The song later became a Delta staple and was part of every young...
" by Charley Patton.
The album was produced by Wilson and John Fischbach. In addition to the recodings made on tour in Europe, the album was recorded and produced at Fischbach's Piety Street Recording
Piety Street Recording
Piety Street Recording is a recording studio at 728 Piety Street in the 9th Ward/Bywater, New Orleans.The building was originally a US post office and later housed the Louisiana Center For Retarded Citizens. After a few short term tennants, the building was purchased in 1999 by...
studio in New Orleans. Wilson's regular band consisted of Marvin Sewell on guitar, Jonathan Batiste
Jonathan Batiste
Jonathan Batiste is a musician, educator and entertainer from Kenner, Louisiana, United States.-Biography:Jonathan is a member of a long lineage of musicians from the Batiste family of Louisiana. He was introduced to music by his family's band, the Batiste Brothers Band, in which he played...
on piano, Reginald Veal on bass, Herlin Riley
Herlin Riley
Herlin Riley is an American Neo-bop jazz drummer. Along with other notable musicians such as Wynton Marsalis and Wessel Anderson, he is a member of the New York jazz group, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra....
on drums and Lekan Babalola on percussion. The album features guest appearances by John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
on "Watch the Sunrise" and a saxophone solo by Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane is an American post-bop jazz saxophonist. Co-owner of the record label RKM Music, he has produced artists such as pianist Luis Perdomo , guitarist David Gilmore and trumpeter Ralph Alessi....
on "Beneath a Silver Moon".
The album title and cover art are inspired by an incident from Wilson's childhood in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
; "A man came around ... with a pony and camera, and you could pay to get your picture taken." Although Wilson's brothers were not interested, her mother allowed her to be photographed on the pony, and the image of Wilson is used on the album cover.
Reception
Writing for JazzTimesJazzTimes
JazzTimes is a magazine that dates back to Radio Free Jazz, a publication founded in 1970 by Ira Sabin when he was operating a record store in Washington, DC. It was originally a newsletter designed to update shoppers on the latest jazz releases and provide jazz radio programmers with a means of...
, Carlo Wolff
Carlo Wolff
Carlo Wolff is a prolific freelance journalist who writes for publications including the Boston Globe, the Chicago Sun Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the The Plain Dealer and the Christian Science Monitor. He specializes in music criticism, book reviews and feature articles about popular...
gave the album a positive review. He praised "Beneath a Silver Moon" and "Saddle Up My Pony" in particular, and described Wilson's band as "exceptional". He questioned the inclusion of the two instrumental tracks because of the change in pace they brought but said that overall, the album "reaffirms Wilson's status as a premier jazz singer". Steve Leggett of Allmusic gave the album a rating of four stars out of five. He described it as "a light, shimmering sound" and felt that despite the different styles and mix of live and studio material, the album remains cohesive. In a review for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, John Fordham gave the album four stars out of five. He noted a continuation of "confidence and focus" from her previous album, Loverly. He described the tracklist as "powerfully compatible".
Reviewing the album for BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
, John Eyles was complimentary and said that it continues a "rich vein of form" begun with 1993's Blue Light 'til Dawn
Blue Light 'til Dawn
Blue Light 'til Dawn is a studio album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson. Her first album on the Blue Note label, it was released in 1993. It contains Wilson's interpretations of songs by various blues and rock artists, as well as three original compositions.-Reception:Rolling Stone reviewer...
. He praised Wilson's voice and noted that with Silver Pony, her band are no longer overshadowed. Jim Farber of New York's Daily News noted the equality between Wilson and her band and the balance between her vocals and their instrumentals. He enjoyed the contrast between Wilson's soft vocals and the fast tempo of the songs and noted the seamless transitions between live and studio-recorded tracks. He praised Wilson's growth as an artist in the time since her last live recordings, on 1991's Live
Live (Cassandra Wilson album)
Live is a jazz album by American singer Cassandra Wilson, released in 1991.-Track listing:# "Don't Look Back" – 5:55# "Soul Melange" – 11:35...
. In a review for Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
, Stephen Deusner gave Silver Pony a "commendable" rating of 7.6 out of 10. He described "Went Down to St James Infirmary" and "Saddle Up My Pony" as the best tracks on the album. He praised the band and called them the "true stars" of the album. Although he commented that Wilson voice has improved over the years, on this album he felt that she was just a "support player", and enjoyed least the songs that strongly featured her voice.
Will Layman of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
gave Silver Pony a more negative review, awarding it six stars out of ten. Although he described Wilson's vocals as "deep and delicious", and the tracks as "fun and funky", his opinion was that the album "rehashed" her Wilson's previous work. He said that although new listeners might be impressed, fans would not find anything new. He praised the band, and enjoyed the renditions of "Forty Days and Forty Nights" and "If It's Magic". However, overall he found the album "inessential and merely fine". The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
s Phil Johnson gave the album a similarly mixed review, suggesting that it "might mark time more than break new ground". Writing for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, Ivan Hewlett gave the album a three star rating. He noted that is was "firmly in the territory" of Wilson's usual eclectic style, that combines blues, funk and the Great American Songbook
Great American Songbook
The Great American Songbook is a hypothetical construct that seeks to represent the best American songs of the 20th century principally from Broadway theatre, musical theatre, and Hollywood musicals, from the 1920s to 1960, including dozens of songs of enduring popularity...
. He complimented Wilson's "astonishing" voice and "wonderful" band but felt that the album as a whole was "all too smooth to be really engaging".
An unnamed reviewer from the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
gave the album a rating of three and a half stars. They noted the album's mix of live and studio recordings and commented that this was Wilson "back to her trademark eclectic ways". The reviewer praised the band and particularly enjoyed their improvisation on "Lover Come Back to Me". Overall, they thought Silver Pony was "above-average", but inconsistent and below Wilson's usual standard. Writing for Boston.com
Boston.com
Boston.com is a regional website that offers news and information about Boston, Massachusetts and its surroundings. It claims to be one of the most visited regional websites in the United States....
, Steve Greenlee commented that Wilson's mixed-genre style is no longer innovative, but feels natural. He particularly praised the contributions of Wilson's band members.
Chart performance
Silver Pony peaked at No. 6 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Jazz Albums chart and reached No. 21 on the Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
Albums chart.
Track listing
- "Lover Come Back to Me" (Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, Sigmund RombergSigmund RombergSigmund Romberg was a Hungarian-born American composer, best known for his operettas.-Biography:Romberg was born as Siegmund Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Gross-Kanizsa during the Austro-Hungarian kaiserlich und königlich monarchy period...
) — 6:51 - "Went Down to St James InfirmarySt. James Infirmary Blues"St. James Infirmary Blues" is based on an 18th century traditional English folk song of anonymous origin, though sometimes credited to the songwriter Joe Primrose . Louis Armstrong made it famous in his influential 1928 recording.-Authorship and history:"St...
" (Traditional) — 7:14 - "A Night in Seville" — 3:00
- "Beneath a Silver Moon" (Cassandra Wilson) — 6:39
- "Saddle Up My PonyPony Blues"Pony Blues" is a Delta blues song composed by Charley Patton. With the help of record store owner, H. C. Speir, Patton's first recording session occurred on June 14, 1929, cut six sides, included "Pony Blues" , for Paramount Records. The song later became a Delta staple and was part of every young...
" (Charley Patton) — 9:32 - "If It's Magic" (Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
) — 4:34 - "Forty Days and Forty NightsForty Days and Forty Nights"Forty Days and Forty Nights" is a blues song recorded by Muddy Waters in 1956. Called "a big, bold record", it was a hit, spending six weeks in the Billboard R&B chart where it reached number seven...
" (Bernard Roth) — 4:59 - "Silver Pony" — 0:36
- "A Day in the Life of a Fool" (Luiz BonfáLuiz BonfáLuiz Floriano Bonfá was a Brazilian guitarist and composer best known for the compositions he penned for the film Black Orpheus.-Biography:...
) — 7:35 - "BlackbirdBlackbird (song)"Blackbird" is a Beatles song from the double-disc album The Beatles . Blackbird was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Origins:...
" (Lennon–McCartney) — 6:45 - "Watch the Sunrise" — 3:31
Personnel
Music- Lekan Babalola — percussion
- Jonathan BatisteJonathan BatisteJonathan Batiste is a musician, educator and entertainer from Kenner, Louisiana, United States.-Biography:Jonathan is a member of a long lineage of musicians from the Batiste family of Louisiana. He was introduced to music by his family's band, the Batiste Brothers Band, in which he played...
— Fender RhodesRhodes pianoThe Rhodes piano is an electro-mechanical piano, invented by Harold Rhodes during the fifties and later manufactured in a number of models, first in collaboration with Fender and after 1965 by CBS....
, piano - Ravi ColtraneRavi ColtraneRavi Coltrane is an American post-bop jazz saxophonist. Co-owner of the record label RKM Music, he has produced artists such as pianist Luis Perdomo , guitarist David Gilmore and trumpeter Ralph Alessi....
— tenor saxophone - Helen Gillet — cello, vielleVielleThe vielle is a European bowed stringed instrument used in the Medieval period, similar to a modern violin but with a somewhat longer and deeper body, five gut strings, and a leaf-shaped pegbox with frontal tuning pegs. The instrument was also known as a fidel or a viuola, although the French...
- Luke LairdLuke LairdLuke Laird is an American country music songwriter. He is best known for co-writing singles recorded by Carrie Underwood....
— acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar - John LegendJohn LegendJohn Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
— piano, vocals - Herlin RileyHerlin RileyHerlin Riley is an American Neo-bop jazz drummer. Along with other notable musicians such as Wynton Marsalis and Wessel Anderson, he is a member of the New York jazz group, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra....
— drums - Brandon Ross — acoustic guitar
- Marvin Sewell — acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Reginald Veal — electric bass
- Cassandra Wilson — bass drums, synthesizer, vocals
Design
- Larry Blumenfeld — liner notes
- Shanieka D. Brooks — product manager
- Gordon H. Jee — creative director
- Rachel Salomon — cover illustration
- Will Sterling — photography
- Burton Yount — art direction, design
Production
- Lekan Babalola — associate producer
- Jonathan Batiste — associate producer
- John Fischbach — engineer, mixing, producer
- Wes Fontenot — assistant engineer
- Don Juan Holder — engineer
- Antwon Jackson — A&R
- Bob KatzBob KatzBob Katz is an audio mastering engineer who is known for his book on audio mastering. Katz has mastered three Grammy award-winning albums and one nominated album. He has received acclaim from audiophiles and his book on mastering has received acclaim, and some reviewers consider it the "definitive...
— mastering - Tobias Lange — assistant engineer
- Herlin Riley — associate producer
- Marvin Sewell — associate producer
- Reginald Veal — associate producer
- Cassandra Wilson — producer
- Eli Wolf — A&R