Etta James

It was in the Sixties when Etta James truly found her musical direction and made a lasting mark as a soulful pop and blues diva. Her debut album, "At Last!", was released in late 1960 and was noted for its varied choice in Nmusic from jazz standards to blues numbers to doo-wop and rhythm & blues.

The album received a five-star rating in All Music Guide, with Stephen Cook stating that, “After spending a few years in limbo after scoring her first R&B hits ‘Dance With Me, Henry’ and ‘Good Rocking Daddy,’ Etta James returned to the spotlight in 1961 with her first Chess release, "At Last!" James made both the R&B and pop charts with the album’s title cut, ‘All I Could Do Was Cry,’ and ‘Trust in Me.’ What makes At Last! a great album is not only the solid hits it contains, but also the strong variety of material throughout. James expertly handles jazz standards like ‘Stormy Weather’ and ‘A Sunday Kind of Love,’ as well as Willie Dixon’s blues classic ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You.’ She demonstrates her keen facility on the title track in particular, as she easily moves from powerful blues shouting to more subtle, airy phrasing; her Ruth Brown-inspired, bad-girl growl only adds to the intensity. On this album one hears the singer at her peak in a swinging and varied program of blues, R&B, and jazz standards.” At Last! was ranked #119 on RollingStone’s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2012.

ETTA JAMES, lead vocals
The Riley Hampton Orchestra.
Arranged and conducted by Riley Hampton.
Recorded in Chicago, Illinois, between 1960 and 1961.

SIDE A:

01 ANYTHING TO SAY YOU’RE MINE
02 MY DEAREST DARLING
03 TRUST IN ME
04 A SUNDAY KIND OF LOVE
05 TOUGH MARY

SIDE B:

01 I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU
02 AT LAST
03 ALL I COULD DO WAS CRY
04 STORMY WEATHER
05 GIRL OF MY DREAMS