Boston Globe/ Sidekick Cover  August 2007

There's a music style called jazzsoul (we made it up) and our anointed queen is Boston native Cassandre McKinley. The Boston Conservatory alum's vocal influences include Anita O'Day, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Nancy Wilson, and Marvin Gaye; McKinley pays tribute to the latter in her debut album "Til Tomorrow -- Remembering Marvin Gaye." The singer's version of "I Wish It Would Rain" is moving enough to bring precipitation to the desert.

JazzTimes Magazine April 2007

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 felling of déja vu.
Wisely, given her warm, carametl-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.
To read the full review, purchase the April Issue of Jazz Times Magazine at your local newstand.

JB Spins Jazz Review

Maybe there’s something in the air, but jazz artists seem to be taking stock of the Marvin Gaye catalog. After the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s reinterpretation of What’s Going On, Cassandre Wilson sings songs associated with Gaye on her debut Til Tomorrow.

Cynical jazz observers sneer about the new formula for crossover success—combine an attractive female vocalist with some well chosen pop standards given jazzy arrangements and unleash a marketing campaign. Maybe it is a formula, but it’s not necessarily a bad one. In this case, McKinley has the most important part of the equation. She has a strong voice, with great tone and clear diction.

“Trouble Man,” the first cut that really shows McKinley’s facility at various tempos in a rendition that gets to blues at the core of Gaye’s music. The real standout track is McKinley’s rendition of “Let’s Get It On,” undeniably the most famous Gaye hit on the CD. She credits Kenny Rankin as the inspiration for the spare arrangement for guitar and percussion. Her voice had to carry the tune, and it does, fully expressing the desire and longing of the tune. It’s a track that should make converts of Norah Jones and Cassandra Wilson fans.

After “Let’s Get It On,” one just wants to sit back and say “ah, yes.” The simple piano accompaniment of “Yesterday” trusts the power of her voice and works much better for it. Also notable is “You’re the One for Me,” which even features a little scattish vocalizing and effective sax work from Dino Govoni.

Hearing McKinley’s voice, you have to conclude she is the real deal.

Kevin McNeir of www.JAZZUSA.com
Having grown up to the music of Motown legend Marvin Gaye, and even being raised for a while in his own home because my babysitter also sat for his own children, I have always maintained a real penchant for Gaye—both the man and his music.

So you can imagine that I was a bit leery when I heard that the latest release by vocalist Cassandre “Cass” McKinley, a Boston Conservatory of Music graduate, was a tribute to a man who in my child’s memory was just about as close as one could get to God—next to my Dad, of course.

As I listened with care I slowly began to realize that McKinley was truly inspired as she moves effortlessly through the discography of Gaye while maintaining the sound and style that has become her trademark.

And perhaps that was the greater task for this clearly gifted jazz vocalist—maintaining her own voice—her own sound and style—while seeking to approach the work of one of the greatest singers of all time.

What she does with “I Want You” is just magical—it’s the heart of Gaye but with the vocal inflections of Dinah (Washington) or perhaps Nancy (Wilson). And with tenderness Steven Angellis adds a cleverly arranged “voice” on the guitar. But there are two cuts that you don’t want to miss on this CD. The first is “If This World Were Mine”. The second is one which only the most ardent Gaye fan will even remember, “Til Tomorrow”—a beautiful and moving song which “Cass” makes her own.

Sometimes McKinley interprets the music in such a manner that you think you’re in a Louisiana speakeasy while at other times it’s almost like a song made for an old-fashioned hoe down in the Bluegrass state of Kentucky. And yet the spirit of Marvin Gaye is still present. “You done good sister.” Listen for yourself, but from this writer’s perspective, Brother Marvin would approve.

Jazz á la Marvin Gaye - The Providence Journal / November 2006

When Cassandre McKinley was picking songs for her debut album, she decided to steer away from the standards every jazz singer does. She was going through a divorce, and she returned to the music she’d loved as a child — the music of Marvin Gaye. It inspired her.

“I had really thought for years that I wanted to do something that was completely different, out of the realm of typical jazz vocals.” And a jazz album of Gaye songs fit the bill. The result is Til Tomorrow, a collection of songs written and originally performed by Gaye, done in a small-band jazz setting, with McKinley’s cool-water vocals at the center.

The album begins with a fairly straightforward rendition of “Trouble Man,” and some of the versions on Til Tomorrow don’t stray far from the originals. That includes “I Won’t Cry Anymore,” which recalls the original Gaye put on the Romantically Yours album, one of several instances of his love of singing jazz.

In other cases, however, the covers are fairly radical reinterpretations. “I Wish It Would Rain,” for example, is reborn here as an acoustic-guitar-based blues, while the acoustic takes center stage in McKinley’s version of “Let’s Get It On.” “I Want You” and “After the Dance” are sinuous ballads in McKinley’s hands, while Gaye’s versions were masterpieces of brooding early-’70s soul. it’s extremely refreshing to hear a collection of songs that’s both tried-and-true yet not the same old run though “Autumn Leaves,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” blah blah blah.

“That music is highly successful,” McKinley says of the standards. “It’s why [singers and musicians] keep following that same pattern, because people want to listen to that. But I really want to make people leave a show, or listen to the album, and say, ‘I really didn’t expect to feel this much emotion.’ … I love that people walk away from a show and they’re just exhausted. Because it’s an experience — it’s not just background music for friends and wine and hors d’ouevres. …

“I thought if they really really love it, that’s great; but if they really hate it, as long as they’re passionate and they really hate it, then I’m good. Because I just wanted people to have passion toward the project.”

Asked about the process of rearranging the Gaye material, McKinley says that it was too instinctive to call a process. The idea was to “pinpoint exactly where it was coming from that made me feel moved by that particular choice. In that, I think you find your own rhythm and you find your own voice. …

“It was a subconscious process, if it was a process. I don’t remember a lot about how it came around; I remember feeling good when it came together.” “I also made the album with the assumption that people were going to probably say, ‘This isn’t really jazz; Marvin Gaye can’t be jazz,’ and whatnot. And they can put it wherever they want to put it, but I really wanted to make that music. …Soul music in general is a genre that I really feel connected to — and jazz as well. And I like to connect the two.”

Reminded that historically that’s not supposed to be a radical concept, McKinley agrees. “It’s sort of strange how people dissect this genre of jazz. It shouldn’t be so radical that someone would combine jazz with soul.”

McKinley’s shows contain most of the tracks from the album, placed basically in the same order as on the record. “It’s a show as a sort of storytelling. … It’s an overall theme about thinking about where you’ve been and where you’re going.”

Cassandre McKinley sings at Chan’s, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, Saturday night at 8. Tickets are $12; call (401) 765-1900.

Richard Bourcier of Jazzreview.com

While it seems like yesterday when I raved about Cassandra McKinley's first album Stay The Night. That was five years ago. That CD proved McKinley's unerring prowess at choosing great songs. Her latest project reinforces that belief.

The soul idol's compositions fit the sultry singer like an old pair of shoes. Let's Get It On receives Cassandre McKinley's ultimate foxy treatment. Stand back and feel the heat! Til Tomorrow is another gem that benefits greatly from the Beantown singer's very personal handling.

Cassandre McKinley delivers a confident and relaxed jazz session. Baring The Soul is a fitting tribute to a legendary singer / composer. I'll bet Marvin would heartily recommend this CD. I certainly do!

Pam Guthrie of Jazzreview.com

Marvin Gaye fans rejoice! Cassandre McKinley fans rejoice! Now rejoice together! Cassandre McKinley's third CD is a tribute to Marvin Gaye. It is passionate, evocative and sensual. Baring The Soul The Music of Marvin Gaye is a subtle, sexy homage that is even more perfect when accompanied by a glass of wine, a crackling fire and your own true love or even potential true love.

McKinley spent two years to produce this collection. By her own admission, it was a time of personal struggle. The depth of feeling, the intensity and fire that burn in each song makes it clear that Baring The Soul is a deeply personal effort grounded in McKinley's solid musical talent and skill. Dino Govoni on tenor sax plays a beautiful duet with McKinley in "I Want You." Their voices trade back and forth in a mellow love fest, while on "Pride And Joy" their zest and joy dance out from the music. Brad Hatfield's piano on "Trouble Man" fills the space underneath the vocals with as much heart as a chorus of backup singers while maintaining a gorgeous balance that keeps a sultry urban-night feel rolling throughout. "Let's Get It On" melts. Stephen Angellis's stunning guitar work, coupled with McKinley's sultry vocals, is winning. You might want to kick your shoes off, because several of the cuts are going to make you want to dance.

6 Jazz Divas

Arts Around Boston Magazine, 1999

"As we're looking forward to the future of jazz divas in Boston, Cassandre McKinley is the one to watch".

Stay the Night (2001 self-released)

Richard Bourcier of Jazzreview.com

When this CD arrived in the mail, my wife read over the tune list, handed me the recording and said "Cassandre McKinley made this CD just for you". Puzzled, I looked at the back of the package and 7 of the 11 compositions are among my list of favorites.

Needless to say, this fine young Boston songstress had my immediate attention. The first track is "Easy Street" which was introduced to me by the great Clancy Hayes. Cassandre's version kicks of with a beautiful Herb Pomeroy trumpet intro.

Her heartfelt rendition of the Matt Dennis tune "Angel Eyes" is the finest I've ever heard.

Those of you who generally shy away from Indie labels are missing out if you don't give this recording a very serious listen. I'd recommend it to those dedicated late night jazz radio hosts. Give this a play!

Ms. McKinley has a wonderful, intimate and swinging style. To quote the last track, I can only say "But Beautiful".