The Best Of Esther Phillips (1962-1970)
Esther Phillips was 14 when she first began hitting the R&B; charts; this collection of recordings for Lenox, Atlantic, and Roulette finds her trying to maintain her success in the face of changing trends. The stylistically diverse material and arrangements are held together by Phillips's powerful voice and vulnerably intuitive phrasing; among the highlights are smoky covers ofBeatlesandStonesballads ("And I Love Him" and "As Tears Go By," respectively), remakes of Nashville hits ("Release Me," "Am I That Easy to Forget"), the sophisticated soul of "Some Things You Never Get Used To," and the jumping "Cry Me a River Blues," with Phillips free-associating verse after verse of the American songbook fromBessie SmithtoJulie London.--Rickey Wright