Gold

Product Description:

Personnel include: Etta James (vocals); Cornell Dupree, Matt Murphy (guitar); John Young , Cedar Walton (piano); Richard Tee (keyboards); Johnny Otis, Steve Gadd (drums).

Recording information: 1955 - 2004.

Although there have been many Etta James compilations, 2007's top-notch, two-disc GOLD collection easily stands out as one of the best overviews of the revered R&B/blues vocalist's career. While James (born Jamesetta Hawkins) is inextricably linked with her swooning early-1960s classic "At Last," this impressive set presents 35 other reasons for adulation, including the passionate "Trust in Me" and the lively, horn-laden "Tell Mama," both of which showcase the singer's remarkably powerful and emotive voice. Most James anthologies tend to stop in the '70s, but GOLD commendably extends to 2004 with a spare, simmering take on "The Sky Is Crying" that holds its own with songs she recorded decades earlier. Though THE ESSENTIAL ETTA JAMES can't be beat as an in-depth look at James's heyday, GOLD is inarguably the most wide-ranging set in the performer's extensive catalogue.