Strange Fruit
Vocals by Cassandra Wilson
The version of the song “Strange Fruit,” by Cassandra Wilson is a piece of music that consists of 4 verses. I have broken these down into Verse A, Verse B. Verse A, and Verse A’. Cassandra’s voice is most certainly the melody of this version of Strange Fruit and is used in all 4 verses. The rhythm of this piece is a 4. The song opens in a high pitch “tinkling” piano, soft flute (that reminds me of the wind bowing) a soft distant sound of an electric guitar and the eerie background bass that has the feeling of darkness and fear. This drew an image of dark and chilling to me.
Seventeen seconds into the song an additional instrument possibly the sound of a top hat are added and enter with a startling feeling of an electric shock awakening the original quieter start to the piece. Following this is the hard hit of a drum and high hat symbols that reminded me of a rattlesnake in the desert along with a ticking noise that reminded me of a clock.
Forty four seconds after being captured, by the dissonant opening, Cassandra starts to sing. Her voice is low (ghost like; very spooky) and not always clear but it creates a unity with its steady pitch and tempo. I found that with the words I had difficulty making out (until I had listened for the 19th time) that she sounded tight and somewhat raspy, like she was gasping for air. Her voice works so well to create tension and uneasiness in relation to the timbre of the pounding loud drum (rhythm & unity), the electrifying top hat, the heavy angry key hitting on the piano and the deep haunted sound of the bass (rhythm & unity). The harmony of the melody and instruments is dissonant. The piano is loud but varies in between her words from heavy keys to “tinkling” keys in a slow tempo and arpeggiated harmony; which is creating variety. This deep sound in addition to the piano,