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I am not sure why I didn't know any of these great recordings. I have collected a lot of jazz and popular music from this period but somehow Esther Phillips slipped under my radar.. Until, that is, I came across one song in a friends playlist which inspired me to buy this box of five. These are wonderful and no mistake. Her voice has something of Dinah Washington and Eartha Kit about it, though her stylings are occasionally redolent of Ray Charles. For all this she sounds authentically herself and very powerful and nuanced. She sings some standards, some blues, and even an album of country songs, but all without any self consciousness about crossing genres, in fact she delivers every song in her own way, Whether she is working with the slick orchestral arrangements from the Ray Ellis orchestra or with a backing band, there is no incongruity and no sense that she is compromising her spontaneity. Either I have been living under a rock or she is very underrated. Or perhaps a bit of both. These Original Album box sets are a magnificent way to familiarise yourself with an artist, especially if you like to listen to tracks in their intended sequence as they were when it was released. I have about a dozen of these box sets, but I am especially pleased about acquiring this one. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Essential set for all Esther fans.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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