ALBUM SPOTLIGHT : *** 1/2, CASSANDRA WILSON, “New Moon Daughter”, Blue Note

Those who believed that Wilson’s 1988 collection of standards, “Blue Skies,” marked the arrival of a significant new voice in jazz may be disappointed in the singer’s latest recording. With only two bona fide jazz standards among the dozen numbers, “New Moon Daughter” breaks down the barriers between musical styles, covering blues, pop and country material as well as five of Wilson’s own, hard-to-categorize originals.

But there’s plenty of jazz sensibility in Wilson’s performances, as she turns even the most suspect number into a marvel of expression and feeling. Not one to rely on stylistic gimmicks and interpretations, Wilson lets her rich voice and straightforward way with a line bring the lyric into solid focus.

Take, for example, her reading of “Last Train to Clarksville,” the Tommy Boyce-Bobby Hart romp made popular by the Monkees. As she delivers the pop ditty at a considered, deliberate tempo, Wilson finds the heart of the tune’s lyric, which in her hands becomes a moving lament of love lost.

The triumph of “New Moon Daughter,” though it wanders far from the jazz fold by embracing such disparate artists as Hank Williams and U2, is how well the program hangs together. The mood is decidedly somber and low-key throughout, with simply dressed, acoustic guitar-based arrangements complementing Wilson’s soul-filled vocals.

The album opens with “Strange Fruit,” the fatalistic ballad made popular by Billie Holiday, and the mood continues through U2’s “Love Is Blindness,” Son House’s “Death Letter” and Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” Throw in Wilson’s own “A Little Warm Death” and you’ve got a parade of lyrics that, though beautifully presented, could send the most well-adjusted listener into the arms of Dr. Kevorkian.

Wilson’s moody tones are perfect for this blue program. The rich character of her voice continues to deepen with a sound full of smoke, brandy and tears. Her spare, direct style often recalls that of Shirley Horn in its resonant tone and isolation, a technique that gives weight to a lyric’s every word. But comparisons to other singers can be misleading in Wilson’s case. Simply stated, this most expressive of vocalists sounds like no one else.

Without a saxophone to be heard, the songs have a decidedly non-jazz feel. As arranged by Wilson and guitarist Kevin Breit, the tunes take on the character of eclectic folk music with occasional decoration from banjo, cornet, accordion and Irish bozouki. Wilson’s own tunes, full of melancholy and chord changes, fit well into the program, while marking her as a composer-lyricist worthy of the craft.

By closing “New Moon Daughter” with a slow, ethereal rendition of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” Wilson adds a final touch of optimism. Though she plays to the tune’s somber nostalgia, its inclusion makes a fitting resolution to this varied, thoughtful collection. Jazz purists may be disappointed in Wilson’s choice of material. But it’s a joy to hear her discover the beauty in these songs, then slowly, wonderfully reveal it.

*

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).