Hardened fans will probably wish she had stuck to the rough, rocking rhythm and blues, which earned her the greatest reputation as 'matriarch of the blues' (also the title of her latest CD) but Etta James herself never shied away for a jazzy or a quiet ballad. With her lived voice she sings a number of jazz and pop standards, making Blue Gardenia a personal statement of pure and matured emotion.
Again in the good company of a number of select jazz musicians, including pianist Cedar Walton, Etta James performs songs such as This Bitter Earth, These Foolish Things, Cry Me A River and a dozen others with her poignant bluesy voice. After five decades she may have lost a bit of technology, but the fire, soul and passion are no less because of it. The feeling it generates in the listener is exactly what makes this album a pleasure. (RM)more
