Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
Siblings Samora (left) and Elena Pinderhughes collaborated on The Transformations Suite, which was released on Oct. 16.
(Photo: Courtesy of the artists)Earlier you mentioned that it was very important to not imitate something that’s already been done. How did you walk that fine line when making the Suite?
Samora: First of all, I’ve never been shy about my influences. Anybody who says that they don’t have influences is lying [laughs]. Those are the people I lean on. I’m not an especially super-duper confident, off-the-top person. I use my influences, my heroes, as pillars to lean on when I’m unsure about whether something works or not.
Elena: For some artists, a big thing is, ‘What is your voice?’ Samora has his own. Compositionally, I’ve really seen that a lot because he helps me write a lot as well and there’s a certain sound there.
As you start writing and a suite comes together—because there’s so many [different] components, so many parts, you find that your voice is there—individually in each part, but also as a complete whole.
For some reason, there was no danger of it sounding like something else. It just never did, not even from the first iteration. It it always sounded like Samora.
We’ve talked about the history of jazz and how it was once a political voice for the disenfranchised. And then suddenly, it was silenced. Was there a moment for you guys in which you both decided that silence on these issues was simply not an option?
Samora: I’ve kind of always been on that tip. On Halloween I used to dress as Che Guevara, and Elena used to have the little Tupac bandana … she was tryin’ to rock that for a minute [laughs].
I’ve always been thinking about those issues. And being biracial, that is also its own kind of complicated thing. It’s important for me and essential for me to speak out. Elena has been very influential for me in terms of her insistence on speaking to her generation. She’s like, ‘I want to speak to all people, but the most important audience, for me, is my age and younger.’ Those are the people who are influencing the world.
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
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