Jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson dies at age seventy

Cassandra Wilson, a Grammy-winning jazz singer, died on 2 September at her home in Jackson, Mississippi. She was 70 years old. Wilson was born in Jackson in 1955 and spent decades as one of the most respected voices in jazz. She had a deep contralto voice that was easy to recognise. She was also known for mixing jazz with blues, folk, country, and rock music. Her first solo album came out in 1986, and she signed to Blue Note Records in 1993. In 2022, she received the title of NEA Jazz Master, one of the highest honours in American jazz. She died peacefully at home with family and close friends nearby. No cause of death has been announced.