Search - Etta Jones :: The Best of Etta Jones: The Prestige Singles

Truly Etta's Greatest!

Allen Bardin | Columbia, SC United States | 07/25/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In terms of performance and song selection, this really is the best of the sides the late Ms. Jones recorded during her tenure with Prestige. Always soulful and swinging, Etta Jones enjoyed praise from musicians, singers and fans, and deserves a lot more recognition than she got during her lifetime. If you have to get only one of Etta's discs - this is the one to shell out for."

Good Starter

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 03/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've just discovered Etta, or are curious about why some of us rank her with Ella, Sarah, and Billie, this is just about as good an introduction as you'll find. It collects some of the recorded highlights from the end of the first half of her career--the early '60's when her voice was probably at its very richest. Included here are fine cuts from her best albums--"Don't Go To Strangers," "Love Shout," "Lonely and Blue" with Gene Ammons' tenor, and "So Warm" with Oliver Nelson's orchestral arrangements. Still, given Etta's consistency during this time, there are as many notable omissions as essential inclusions. I'd hate to be without "Some Enchanted Evening" ("Love Shout") or "If You're But a Dream" ("Lonely and Blue"). Moreover, the collection doesn't represent her sterling work with Budd Johnson in the mid '40's, when she was simply the best female jazz singer of the blues, period. Nor does it offer any of the grittier but no less expressive Etta of the '80's and '90's. Like every other single CD anthology by a major artist purporting to be the "Best of--", it's a misleading statement. On the other hand, unlike some similar titles that come to mind, it's not a flagrant misrepresentation."

Should be as much of a household name as Billie Holiday, Sar

Mary Whipple | New England | 05/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fortunately for jazz lovers, Etta Jones's "Best of" CD was compiled and released in 2001 so we can hear these great songs on CD, with the sound enhanced by modern technology. With all the tracks being from 1960 - 1963, however, it omits the great songs she recorded later in her six decade career. Here she is in her early thirties, her enthusiasm and passion at their peak, and her vocal range, phrasing, and dramatic interpretations just beginning to catch on with her audience.



Obviously influenced by Billie Holiday, whose echoes we sometimes hear in her voice and sense of style, Jones sings mostly standards--primarily slow songs which allow her to develop narrative intensity as she creates her own mood and interpretation. "Don't Go to Strangers, " her only (huge) pop hit, showcases her alto voice and her vocal originality with a simple accompaniment, piano and bass, added guitar and flute for emphasis. "That's All There is to That" reminds one of Holiday, with a funky, bluesy beat. "Love Walked In" is zippy, with great rhythm and no sentimentality, and "Canadian Sunset" is an unusual uptempo with vibes.



Among the non-standards: "Old Folks," about a Civil War veteran who hangs out in a diner and tells stories becomes a poignant commentary on aging and death, and Kenny Burrell adds impact with his guitar. "The Gal from Joe's," with both Burrell and Bucky Pizzarelli, is a passionate vocal narrative about a gal who is leaving her job and how much Joe will miss her, a mood that is enhanced by the wailing sax of Jerome Richardson. And Frankie Laine would not recognize her "Nature Boy," as she eliminates the funky mystery of his version in favor of a more upbeat, swinging mood.



Etta Jones is a huge talent who has slipped through the cracks with many fans of sixties and seventies jazz, and she deserves attention. Admitting that she never sang a song the same way twice--and that she could not even sing along with her own recordings--Etta Jones is a free spirit who is not confined by the written notes or words, soaring into her own element on each recording and developing her own style. Her ability to "get into" a song rivals that of the best of the best, and this recording is a fine introduction to her work. n Mary Whipple



Don't Go to Strangers

Lonely and Blue

Something Nice

At Last

From the Heart





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