ABSTRACT
Encouraged to develop original voices while paying homage to their musical elders, contemporary jazz musicians are continuously faced with the question of how to position themselves with respect to jazz tradition. Since the mainstream appeal of jazz has faded so dramatically over the last half-century, many current artists who wish to survive in today's competitive marketplace find it difficult to resist the impulse towards musical conservation. Since the beginning of her recording career, now in its third decade, vocalist and composer Cassandra Wilson has continually reached provocative answers to these questions by remaining aware of her place in relation to jazz history and of her position as an artist who came of age during the late twentieth century. Spurred by her involvement with M-Base, Wilson adopted an expansive view of jazz, favoring a relatively futuristic sound in comparison to the neo-bop conservatism advanced during this period by Wynton Marsalis.
