Critical Noir: Nancy Wilson in Her Autumn
By Mark Anthony Neal, Special to AOL BlackVoices
In 1991, the legendary Nancy Wilson was tapped by producer Barry Manilow to work on ‘With My Lover Beside Me,’ a collection of songs that featured lyrics by the late Johnny Mercer -- lyrics that had never been recorded. Manilow’s choice of Wilson was a sign of the high regard held for her by aficionados of the Great American Song Book. Indeed, Wilson is a singer’s singer -- able to interpret a wide range of songs and lyrics in a fashion that is likely only matched by Barbra Streisand, and all with the charm and sass befitting of her Chillicothe, Ohio, roots.
One of the most memorable tracks on ‘With My Lover Beside Me’ is ‘When October Comes,’ a song that captures the beauty of a fading autumn afternoon and the essence of Wilson’s career. Now in the autumn of a career that has spanned 50 years and 75 recordings under her name, the 67-year-old Wilson has released what is purportedly her final studio recording, ‘R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal).’
Singing publicly since she was 4 years old, Wilson’s professional career began at age 15, when her prize for winning a local talent show was to host the television variety show ‘Skyline Memories’ twice a week. Wilson was performing with the Rusty Bryant band in 1959, when she caught the attention of saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. At Adderley’s urging Wilson moved to New York and eventually signed a contract with Capitol Records, the label she would record with for the next 25 years. Although Wilson’s career really began to take off when she was paired with Adderley on a version of Buddy Johnson’s ‘Save Your Love for Me’ in 1962, it was a live, 1961 version of ‘Guess Who I Saw Today that became her signature tune. It tells of a young wife who catches her husband on a lunch date with another woman and coyly recants the story to her unsuspecting husband when he returns home from work. As Wilson told the Washington Post back in 1977, “That’s my essence [the song], to weave words, to be dramatic.”
‘Guess Who I Saw Today’ captured the essence of what would keep audiences drawn to Wilson for years to come -- plain-spoken “womaness,” delivered with the flair and style of a master impressionist wielding a microphone instead of a paint brush. Though many have tried to depict Wilson as simply a jazz singer, she has always preferred to think of herself as a “songstylist” -- a definition that is borne out in the wide range of songs that she has recorded. In addition to original recordings like ‘Face It Girl, It’s Over’ and ‘How Glad I Am,’ Wilson has recorded jazz standards such as Billy Strayhorn’s ‘Lush Life’ and ‘The Very Thought of You,’ and performed soulful renditions of the music of Stevie Wonder (‘All in Love is Fair’), Bonnie Raitt (‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’), Major Harris (‘Love Won’t Let Me Wait’) and The Stylistics (‘You’re Right as Rain’). It was Wilson’s 1985 tribute to Marvin Gaye -- her recording of Gaye’s ‘Just to Keep You Satisfied’ -- that helped introduce her to a new generation of fans. The song, like many of her recordings in the late ’80s and early ’90s, became staples of Quiet Storm radio formats.
Wilson’s range is also quite apparent on ‘R.S.V.P..’She says she chose songs that she “always enjoyed but never recorded." Among the standouts are the ballad ‘Why Did I Choose You?’ (with Kenny Lattimore) and ‘Little Green Apples,’ a ’60s hit for the late O.C. Smith, who happened to be Wilson’s minister. At her peak, Wilson was a multifaceted performer, winning an Emmy award for her variety show ‘The Nancy Wilson Show’ (1966-1967) and appearing frequently in film and on television, including ‘I Spy’ (1966), ‘Room 222’ (1970), ‘The Cosby Show’ (1989) ‘The Meteor Man’ (1993) and most recently ‘The Parkers.’?If ‘R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)’ is in fact Wilson’s final studio recording, she has left an incredible legacy and a fine example for artists who believe that lyrics and professionalism are as important as the music.
Nov. 17, 2004