ETTA JAMES - At Last!
Jazz Images 38017
Tracks 1 to 10
At Last
Etta James ( vocal ) with The Riley Hampton Orchestra
Recorded Chicago, between 1960 & 1961
Tracks 11 to 20
Sings For Lovers
Etta James ( vocal ) with The Riley Hampton Orchestra
Recorded at Chess Studios, Chicago, between 1960 & 1962
Etta James is one of those singers that is difficult to categorise her singing covered a number of styles including R& B, Blues, Jazz and straight ahead vocalising. Her main audience appeared to be in the R & B field and this is where her hit numbers were although her vocals were effective in all the styles.
There was a number of years in the Sixties and Seventies when her career was plagued by Heroin addiction she overcame this in later years to some extent and her career flourished.
On the two albums on this release she is accompanied by a large orchestra and her programme is made up of well known standards from the Great American Songbook. Her vocal style owes much to another singer who had a similar type of career Dinah Washington but Miss Washington appealed to the Jazz audience.
You can imagine the two opening numbers “Anything To Say You’re Mine” and “My Dearest Darling” appealing to the Sixties juke box audience, her delivery can be a little strident at times.
“A Sunday Kind Of Love” and her big hit “At Last” are much more considered and would appeal to a much wider audience.
Songs like “Girl Of My Dreams” and “Again” are given a fresh once over and are given a new lease of live.
Numbers like “These Foolish Things” and “Prisoner Of Love” are given as good a treatment by Etta James as you are wont to find.
This is a release that would appeal to the nostalgia market but is non the worse for that and there is no doubt that Etta James was a singer of class.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Jazz Images 38017
Tracks 1 to 10
At Last
Etta James ( vocal ) with The Riley Hampton Orchestra
Recorded Chicago, between 1960 & 1961
Tracks 11 to 20
Sings For Lovers
Etta James ( vocal ) with The Riley Hampton Orchestra
Recorded at Chess Studios, Chicago, between 1960 & 1962
Etta James is one of those singers that is difficult to categorise her singing covered a number of styles including R& B, Blues, Jazz and straight ahead vocalising. Her main audience appeared to be in the R & B field and this is where her hit numbers were although her vocals were effective in all the styles.
There was a number of years in the Sixties and Seventies when her career was plagued by Heroin addiction she overcame this in later years to some extent and her career flourished.
On the two albums on this release she is accompanied by a large orchestra and her programme is made up of well known standards from the Great American Songbook. Her vocal style owes much to another singer who had a similar type of career Dinah Washington but Miss Washington appealed to the Jazz audience.
You can imagine the two opening numbers “Anything To Say You’re Mine” and “My Dearest Darling” appealing to the Sixties juke box audience, her delivery can be a little strident at times.
“A Sunday Kind Of Love” and her big hit “At Last” are much more considered and would appeal to a much wider audience.
Songs like “Girl Of My Dreams” and “Again” are given a fresh once over and are given a new lease of live.
Numbers like “These Foolish Things” and “Prisoner Of Love” are given as good a treatment by Etta James as you are wont to find.
This is a release that would appeal to the nostalgia market but is non the worse for that and there is no doubt that Etta James was a singer of class.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
