Vocal / Popular Music Entry; Ballads; Vocal Jazz; Standards
Recorded: Jun 21, 1960, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Etta Jones - vocals
Frank Wess - tenor saxophone, flute
Robert Wyands - piano
Skeeter Best - guitar
George Duvivier - bass
Roy Haynes - drums
After paying dues for over 15 years, Etta Jones (1928-2001) became an overnight sensation with the release of this, her first Prestige album. While the title song was the catalyst that fueled the singer’s belated discovery, not to mention one of the few singles released by an independent jazz label of the period to attain gold record status, the remaining nine tracks give equal evidence of the spontaneous phrasing and deep emotional commitment that allowed Jones to excel with such rare consistency. Blending the influences of Billie Holiday and more blues-centered vocalists, and supported by an exceptional quintet featuring Frank Wess and Richard Wyands, Jones turned Don’t Go to Strangers into the cornerstone of a career that would see her produce six more Prestige albums in the Sixties, and that kept her among the jazz vocal elite for the next four decades.
Includes original liner notes by Leroy Jones. |
