Cassandre McKinley

If you're already a fan of Boston-based chanteuse Cassandre McKinley, much of this rich, sensual salute to the music of Marvin Gaye might ignite a feeling of déja vu.

Wisely, given her warm, caramel-flavored voice - rather Carole King via Nancy Wilson, with a layer of Aretha Franklin icing - McKinley never attempts to get sown to Gaye's inimitable nitty-gritty. Instead, she cleverly inverts the essence of each tune, re-channeling them from a distinctly female perspective. So, her "Trouble Man" is less rumble and more sass, "I Want You" reverberates with a softly yearning starriness (sounding, with it's easy samba vibe, like it was freshly plucked from the Brasil '66 songbook) and, most notably, the strained sexual heat of Gaye's "Let's Get It On" is transformed into five-and-a-half minutes of teasing foreplay.



- JAZZ TIMES MAGAZINE



ABOUT THE ARTIST



Cassandre McKinley has never been compared to another famous singer "before her time". Instead, McKinley has enriched her musical surroundings with something honest and refreshing. Her approach to jazz is organic, instinctual and from the heart - most simply describe her as "authentic".



Drawing from a diverse group of influences, McKinley has developed a sound and style that is so unique, there's no comparisons. Her voice is a blend that is true "soul" at it's core - a sound that is pure, yet sophisticated and distinctive. Many will tell you that McKinley gives every ounce of herself to the music - and the strength in her vocal performance, while dynamic and clear, leaves one wondering where this seemingly endless reserve of vocal power and prowess comes from.



Cassandre has just released her debut album under the MAXJAZZ label titled TIL TOMORROW - REMEMBERING MARVIN GAYE. In this body of work, McKinley delivers her interpretation of selected music Gaye wrote, co-wrote and performed throughout his career. From inception to execution, McKinley's sensitivity to Gaye's message and her rich, warm sound combine to pull this project far, far away from the ordinary. Creating a genre that just fits between Jazz, Smooth Jazz and R & B, "Til Tomorrow" is a rich exploration into Nu-Jazz and Soul - focusing on the "soul".



"Making this album was like reading over old pages from my journals - it was a beautiful opportunity to see where it is I've been and then, take a moment to anticipate what may be ahead."



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