Rating:
Genre:
Vocal Music
Release Date: 04/02/2002
While
Etta Jones could not be placed into the very top tier of
jazz singers, she was a good one. And as this compilation draws 18 tracks from the most commercially and artistically successful phase of her career, it might be the best place to start for hearing her work. Recorded between 1960 and 1963, these did all happen to be released on singles, as the title indicates, though it's sometimes forgotten that there were still
jazz tracks being issued as singles in the 1960s. Of course, the most popular of those was
"Don't Go to Strangers," which actually made the
pop Top 40 in 1960.
Jones was a warm and versatile singer with a bit more appeal to
pop listeners than most, usually backed by good small combos on this mixture of
ballads and up-tempo material, though
Oliver Nelson arranged and conducted the strings on a most adventurous, eccentric
"Unchained Melody." More satisfying than the
ballads, though, are the sassier, faster, and slightly bluesier outings, like
"You Came a Long Way From St. Louis," "In the Dark," the sultry
"The Gal From Joe's," and (again with
Nelson's strings)
"Just Friends." The
cha cha pass at
"Nature Boy" is good, too, with
Kenny Burrell handling one of the guitars.
~Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
;)
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