EARTHA KITT — Eartha-quake (1993) 5CD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A typically exhaustive anthology by the superior German reissue label Bear Family, the five-disc box set EARTHA QUAKE collects not only every song Eartha Kitt recorded for the RCA and Kapp labels between 1950 and 1960, it gathers a handful of interesting alternate takes. These reveal that as much as Kitt's detractors complain about her idiosyncratic half-spoken singing style, Kitt's voice is a remarkable instrument; Kitt was able to return surface liabilities into deeper attributes, and throughout this set, she sings with more grace, humor, emotion and sex appeal than many more traditional jazz and pop vocalists could manage. This material is her finest, including such defining songs as "I Wanna Be Evil" and "C'Est Si Bon," and the packaging, with a remarkably detailed 40-page book, is exemplary. This is a necessity for all Eartha Kitt fans. AllMusic   Tracklist & Credits :