Brenda Russell - Brenda Russell (1979)

Upon the release of this album, Brenda Russell was not given the praise she was due. However, as the years have passed, her music has become priceless. This album only featured two single releases: "So Good, So Right" and "Way Back When." The former is a mellow yet jubilant number paced by an acoustic piano and an appealing arrangement. It landed at number 15 on the Billboard R&B charts. The latter is a bouncy midtempo number fueled by a stringent string arrangement, peaking at 42. Fortunately, radio and the public picked up on this indelible album. Of the eight selections, none falls short of being exemplary. The most notable songs not released as singles are the progressively jazzy number "In the Thick of It" and the sentimental ballad "If Only for One Night." (Luther Vandross did an outstanding remake of the latter.) All the selections are arranged and produced with a universal appeal. The album was later re-released with the hit single "Piano in the Dark" as a bonus track. Brenda Russell's talent as a musician, writer, arranger, and singer is commendable, as are the efforts of producer André Fischer.