Nancy Wilson - Greatest Hits [Sony]
Two tracks from Nancy Wilson's earlyCapitol Recordsyears outclass everything else on this compilation, which otherwise concentrates on the jazz/pop/lite-R&B; singer's '80s and '90s work for Columbia. On the two torchy Capitol tracks, "Guess Who I Saw Today" and "Save Your Love for Me" (the latter from Wilson's 1962collaborationwith Cannonball Adderley), she blends strong, bluesy chops with bittersweet sentiments. The more recent stuff is hardly as straightforward; most of the time, her vocals are swamped by ricky-tick adult-contemporary production that renders the music fit only for smooth-jazz radio. And when Wilson does slip into a stripped-down trio format with the likes ofBrad MehldauandChristian McBrideonStephen Sondheim's "Loving You," she still has to contend with bland duet partnerPeabo Bryson.Greatest Hitsserves mainly to point out the fact that Nancy Wilson best uses her voice these days as host of public radio'sJazz Profiles.--Rickey Wright