Jackie Ross - Full Bloom (1964/2021)

Early diva Jackie Ross had looks, sass, and sex appeal. The poignant "Selfish One," with its creative understated arrangement and sincere vocals, didn't stop climbing the pop chart until it reached the number 11 spot. The follow-up, "I Got the Skill," was just as compelling but failed to chart with the authority of its predecessor. "Skill" had a brassy sound, and the horns exploded on the break. Jackie's rendition of "I Had a Talk With My Man" rivals labelmate Mitty Collier's renowned version. She does two standards, "Misty" and "Summertime," in the gospel-tinged voice that first delighted members of her parents' church (both were preachers). If more consideration had been given to the filler, this debut by Ms. Ross would have been rated higher. Ross' career with Chess lasted only two years; she left in 1966 over an insultingly low royalty check paid to her for "Selfish One." The British CD reissue in 1998 added several bonus cuts to up the track length to seventeen, although unfortunately the liner notes do not make it clear as to when this additional material was recorded and released.