Mary Stallings - I Waited For You (1994)

Mary Stallings joined Concord Jazz's roster with I Waited for You, an outstanding CD that posited the question, "Where has this fine singer been all this time?" Indeed, it was most regrettable that an artist of Stallings' caliber had done so little recording over the years when she should have been documented extensively. Carl Jefferson, the late founder of Concord, obviously felt that way, and he did right when he produced her Concord debut. Jefferson united Stallings with the quartet of pianist Gene Harris, whose earthy soul-jazz style complements Stallings' robust, Carmen McRae-influenced vocals beautifully on everything from the fast, exhilarating "It's Crazy" to the intimate ballad singing of "Serenade in Blue," "Dedicated to You," and Ivan Lins' "Love Dance." Harris described I Waited for You as Stallings' "coming-out party" it's too bad the party didn't take place until 1994.