Ruth Brown - Blues & Rhythm Series Classics 5003: The Chronological Ruth Bown 1949-1950 (2001)

Over the years, the Classics label has done an admirable job reissuing rare jazz sessions in chronological order with great sound quality and informative liner notes. They are also dedicated to applying that same care to their outstanding Blues & Rhythm Series. This particular set features Ruth Brown's earliest recording sessions from 1949 and 1950, in which she was a torch singing chanteuse, not the R&B pioneer she became. Similar to Ray Charles, Ruth Brown's initial recording dates differ drastically in approach from the material recorded in the late '50s for Atlantic Records. Brown's renditions of "Sentimental Journey," "Someday," "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe," and her first hit, "So Long," backed by Eddie Condon's band, are timeless and highly recommended. ~by Al Campbell