Incomparable Performances

Tho I don't own this album, I do have every song included on this disc on some other other Aretha recording. And altho I am usually adverse to companies repackaging old material in these supposedly "inclusive" compilations, I think this disc was a good decision. Aretha shines on every track on this album. If I'd been asked to cull my own personal favorites from her early Columbia sessions, it would line up very much like this. I NEVER tire of listening to her version of "It Ain't Necessarily So", she certainly imbues it with the true setiment of the lyric. Tho she avoids the suicide references in "Trouble In Mind", her version of that and the other Dinah Washington classics ("Unforgettable", "What A Difference A Day Made") included give Dinah a true run for her money, and in the case of "Evil Gal Blues" even surpass the originals. "Drinking Again" is magic, with that sweeping opening note she hits, sending chills down the spine. "Love For Sale" bobs along and sets a loose groove that really allows Aretha's rythmic genius to come thru. Even a tired, clearly overdone chestnut like "Over The Rainbow" is given new life under her deeply personal touch. From what I've read, Aretha felt stifled in her role at Columbia, and from the pressure her then husband Ted White extolled on her to be "a JAZZ singer." But you have to be thankful for the effort because it surely produced some of the most innovative and personal jazz vocals of that time or any other. Truly a gem.