MISS ETTA JAMES – The Complete Modern and Kent Recordings (2005) 2CD | WV (image+.cue), lossless

Ace does it again -- of course. These two discs, The Complete Modern and Kent Recordings, contain every side that the young powerhouse Etta James cut for Modern, Crown, and Kent between 1955 and 1961. There are 42 cuts on these two discs, remastered and sequenced painstakingly according to release date. There are no less than seven previously unissued cuts, and two more that have appeared only on Ace compilations. (There's a killer alternate take of "Hey Henry" here that rivals the released version). Fans will have a lot of this material in various places, but this collection puts everything together in one slamming package. The first disc is comprised exclusively of sides recorded for Modern between '55 and '57. Among the masterpieces of killer, bed-rocking R&B found here are "W-O-M-A-N," "Hey Henry," "Good Rockin' Day," "The Pick-Up," "Tough Lover," and "Be Mine." Disc two, where the treasures really are, lays out the Kent and Crown material, and contains all the rarities. There are a few duets here where James is joined by Betty & Dupree as on "If It Ain't One Thing," and "We're In Love." The rehearsal of "Be My Lovely Dovey," is raw and wonderful, as is the alternate version of "Crazy Feelin," without backing from a group. The liner essay by Tony Rounce is both authoritative and accessible, and gives a solid and revealing portrait of James' place in the pantheon and how her star rose. This is, in its way, an historic set because this is the first time all these sides have appeared in one place. Highly recommended. Thom Jurek  
All Tracks & Credits :

ETTA JAMES – The Chess Box (2000) RM | 3CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Etta James is one of the towering figures of the blues, the foremost female blues vocalist of the second half of the 20th century, and the foundation of her legacy is her recordings for Chess Records in the '60s. Despite her reputation and enduring popularity, Etta didn't receive a box set retrospective between 1988 and 1990, the time when Chess was honoring such heavyweights as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Bo Diddley, and Willie Dixon with multi-disc retrospectives. They eased away from box sets during the '90s, only issuing a comprehensive double-disc Little Walter set early in the decade, but they finally returned to the sets in 2000 with a long-overdue Chess Box for Etta James. Like before, when they assembled terrific sets on Berry and Waters, they got it right. Collectors may find a favorite side missing, but the great majority of her best work for Argo, Cadet, and Chess is here. Although there are a handful of unreleased tracks, the point behind this set is to provide a thorough overview of the most pivotal years in James' career, and on that level, it succeeds tremendously. Like many career-spanning sets, it does dip slightly in quality on the last disc, but not enough to make this anything less than an essential addition to a thorough blues library, since even on the lesser material, she sounds terrific. As a matter of fact, it's rather astonishing how strong all these recordings are, from her terrific vocals to the songs themselves. It's a shame it didn't come out with the first round of Chess Boxes, but it was worth the wait. Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
All Tracks & Credits :

ETTA JAMES – At Last! (1960-1999) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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." James 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. James would go on to even greater success with later hits like "Tell Mama," but on At Last one hears the singer at her peak in a swinging and varied program of blues, R&B, and jazz standards. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist :
1    Anything To Say You're Mine 2:37
Written-By – Sonny Thompson
2    My Dearest Darling 3:05
Written-By – Edwin Bocage, Paul Gayten
3    Trust In Me 3:01
Written-By – Jean Schwartz, Milton Ager, Ned Wever
4    A Sunday Kind Of Love 3:19
Written-By – Anita Leonard, Barbara Belle, Louis Prima, Stan Rhodes
5    Tough Mary 2:28
Written-By – Lorenzo Manley
6    I Just Want To Make Love To You 3:09
Written-By – Willie Dixon
7    At Last 3:02
Written-By – Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
8    All I Could Do Is Cry 2:58
Written-By – Berry Gordy Jr., Billy Davis, G. Gordy Fuqua
9    Stormy Weather 3:11
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
10    Girl Of My Dreams (rendered as "Boy Of My Dreams") 2:25
Written-By – Sunny Clapp
11    My Heart Cries 2:37
Featuring – Harvey Fuqua
Written-By – Etta James, Harvey Fuqua
12    Spoonful 2:51
Featuring – Harvey Fuqua
Written-By – Willie Dixon
13    It's A Crying Shame 2:55
Featuring – Harvey Fuqua
Written-By – Etta James, Harvey Fuqua
14    If I Can't Have You  2:50
Featuring – Harvey Fuqua
Written-By – Etta James, Harvey Fuqua

ETTA JAMES – The Second Time Around (1961-1988) The Original Chess Masters | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Etta James's second album isn't what you pull off the shelf when you want to hear her belt some soul. Like her debut, it found Chess presenting her as more or less a pop singer, using orchestration arranged and conducted by Riley Hampton, and mostly tackling popular standards of the '40s. If you're not a purist, this approach won't bother you in the least; James sings with gusto, proving that she could more than hold her own in this idiom as well. R&B isn't entirely neglected either, with the rousing "Seven Day Fool" (co-written by Berry Gordy, Jr.) a standout; "Don't Cry Baby" and "Fool That I Am" were R&B hits that made a mild impression on the pop charts as well. Richie Unterberger
Tracklist :
1     Don't Cry Baby 2:31
Saul Bernie / James Johnson / James P. Johnson / Bessie Smith / Stella Unger
2     Fool That I Am 3:00
Floyd Hunt
3     One For My Baby 3:30
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
4     In My Diary 2:37
Michael Graham / Mark Silverman
5     Seven Day Fool 3:01
Berry Gordy, Jr. / Billy Davis, Jr. / Sonny Woods
6     It's Too Soon to Know 2:50
Deborah Chessler
7     Dream 2:28
Fabian André / Johnny Mercer / Wilbur Schwandt
8     I'll Dry My Tears 2:40
Etta James / Clyde Walker
9     Plum Nuts 3:03
Robert Plummer
10     Don't Get Around Much Anymore 2:26
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell

ETTA JAMES – Rocks The House (1963-1992) RM | The Original Chess Masters | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Though the studio albums Etta James made for Chess in the 1960s usually had the blues singer surrounded by lush production and string-heavy arrangements, this live date finds her performing with only a rhythm section, organist, guitarist, and tenor saxophonist. The singer seems to respond to both the stripped-down setting and the enthusiastic audience with noticeable abandon. In fact, James the classy balladeer, a role she sometimes plays on her studio albums, is nowhere to be found on this blazing set. The only time the band slows down is on the tearjerker story-song "All I Could Do Is Cry" (though what the tune lacks in tempo it makes up for in emotional intensity).
The rest of the set is straight-edged blues and R&B, including covers of some hits of the day, like "Money (That's What I Want)" and Ray Charles' "What'd I Say." Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me to Do" (on which James does a growling, harmonica-imitating vocal solo) steps up the blues quotient, as does the band's finale of Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You," with James' gospel-drenched pipes wailing all the while. Etta James Rocks the House indeed. Rovi Staff  
Tracklist :
1    Something's Got A Hold On Me 4:23
Written-By – Etta James, Leroy Kirkland, Pearl Woods
2    Baby What You Want Me To Do 3:10
Written-By – Jimmy Reed
3    What'd I Say 3:07
Written-By – Ray Charles
4    Money (That's What I Want) 3:18
Written-By – Berry Gordy, Jr., Janie Bradford
5    Seven Day Fool 4:25
Written-By – Berry Gordy, Jr., Billy Davies, Sonny Woods
6    Sweet Little Angel 4:10
Written-By – Robert "Nighthawk" McCollum
7    Ooh Poo Pah Doo 4:15
Written-By – Jessie Hill
8    Woke Up This Morning 4:10
Written-By – B.B. King
9    Ain't That Lovin' You Baby 2:51
Written-By – Jimmy Reed
10    All I Could Do Is Cry 3:20
Written-By – Berry Gordy, Jr., Billy Davies, Gwen Gordy Fuqua
11    I Just Want To Make Love To You 3:39
Written-By – Willie Dixon
Credits :    
Bass – Marion Wright
Drums – Freeman Brown, Richard Waters
Guitar – David Walker
Organ – Vonzell Cooper
Tenor Saxophone – Gavrell Cooper
Vocals – Etta James

ETTA JAMES – Queen of Soul (1964-2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In part because it didn't have any of her biggest hits, the 1964 album Queen of Soul is a relatively overlooked one in Etta James' discography, even for an artist whose LPs weren't all that well known. The ten songs are dependable early soul music, though the material isn't quite on the level of her best mid-'60s work. "I Wish Someone Would Care" is about the best tune, but James was beaten to the punch on that score by Irma Thomas, who not only recorded the original and superior version, but also wrote the song. The one track to bear a James writing credit ("Bobby Is His Name," co-penned with Ed Townsend) is a pretty lightweight, almost teen pop-influenced number; "That Man Belongs Back Here with Me," co-composed by noted tunesmith Clint Ballard, is fair but not great pop-soul with a jazzy touch; "Flight 101" has a tinge of melodrama, though James' typically strong vocal saves it. "Loving You More Every Day" has a satisfying blues-gospel feel, but much of this has dated orchestration, even the closing "Mellow Fellow," which has one of her trademark, throaty, drawn-out testifying openings. Perhaps some of the album's overall unevenness can be attributed to it having been taken from sessions done over a period of two years. Richie Unterberger  
Tracklist :
1     Bobby Is His Name 3:32
Etta James / Ed Townsend
2     I Wish Someone Would Care 2:37
Irma Thomas
3     That Man Belongs Back Here with Me 2:28
Clint Ballard, Jr. / Angela Riela
4     Somewhere Out 2:45
Billy Davis / Wilfred McKinley / Carl Smith
5     Breaking Point 2:27
Maurice McAlister / Terry Vail
6     Flight 101 3:29
Robert Higgenbotham / Cathy Lynn
7     Loving You More Every Day 3:21
Ronny Mitchell
8     Do Right 1:59
Fred Johnson / Leroy Kirkland / Pearl Woods
9     I Worry About You 3:15
Norman Mapp
10     Mellow Fellow 3:01
Ed Townsend
- BONUS TRACKS -
11     You Got Me Where You Want Me 2:52
Don Robey
12     Only Time Will Tell 3:22
Maurice McAlister / Terry Vail
13     Pushover 2:56
Tony Clarke / Billy Davis
14     You Can't Talk to a Fool 3:14
Ray Pennington / Sonny Thompson
15     Would It Make Any Difference to You 2:40
Bob Forshee
16     Stop the Wedding 2:52
Fred Johnson / Leroy Kirkland / Pearl Woods
17     How Do You Speak to an Angel 2:39
Bob Hilliard / Jule Styne
18     Be Honest with Me 3:06
Gene Autry / Fred Rose
19     Pay Back 2:40
Billy Davis
20     Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be) 3:54
Jimmy Davis / Roger Ramirez / James Sherman
21     Two Sides (To Every Story) 3:03
Tony Clarke / Billy Davis
22     Tomorrow Night 3:20
Sam Coslow / Will Grosz
23     I Can't Hold It in Anymore 2:40
Jimmy Radcliffe / Phil Stern

ETTA JAMES – Call My Name (1966-2011) MONO | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Call My Name made for a reasonably strong 1967 soul LP by the standards of most soul singers. It just wasn't one of the standouts in the career of Etta James, given the very high standards she set with her best work. It's certainly OK, but it's tilted toward her more aggressive side, with brassy arrangements and without some of the smoldering ballads that were also highlights of her work. As it also features just one R&B hit, "I Prefer You," it might be something more for serious fans than for general soul or James admirers. Co-producer Monk Higgins has a big hand in the songwriting, co-writing the majority of the tunes, including a couple of the bluesier highlights, "Nobody Loves Me" and "It Must Be Your Love." A couple of covers of familiar classics, "You Are My Sunshine" and Curtis Mayfield's "It's All Right," seem a bit like filler. It's certainly a mixed bag of tunes. Richie Unterberger
Tracklist :
1    Happiness 2:49
Written-By – Maurice Dollison, Vee Pea Smith
2    That's All I Want From You 2:46
Written-By – Fritz Rotter
3    Have Faith In Me 2:42
Written-By – Joyce Wrencher, Monk Higgins
4    I'm So Glad (I Found Love In You) 3:04
Written-By – Maurice Dollison, Vee Pea Smith
5    You Are My Sunshine 2:38
Written-By – Jimmie Davis
6    It Must Be Your Love 2:57
Written-By – Billy Foster, Chuck Bernard, Monk Higgins, Maurice Dollison
7    842-3089 (Call My Name) 2:59
Written-By – Billy Foster, Monk Higgins, Maurice Dollison
8    Don't Pick Me For Your Fool 2:31
Written-By – Billy Foster, Monk Higgins, Maurice Dollison
9    I Prefer You 3:03
Written-By – Billy Foster, Monk Higgins
10    Nobody Loves Me 2:45
Written-By – Joyce Wrencher, Monk Higgins
11    It's All Right 2:37
Written-By – Curtis Mayfield
12    Nobody Like You 2:51
Written-By – Monk Higgins, Maurice Dollison
13    Do Right Woman, Do Right Man 2:57
Written-By – Chips Moman, Dan Penn
14    I Got You Babe 2:25
Written-By – Sonny Bono
15    You Took It    2:35
Unknown
16    I Worship The Ground You Walk On 2:24
Written-By – Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham
17    I've Gone Too Far    2:19
Unknown
18    You Got It 2:24
Written-By – Don Covay
19    Misty 3:12
Written-By – Erroll Garner, Johnny Burke
20    Almost Persuaded 3:20
Written-By – Billy Sherrill, Glenn Sutton
21    Slow And Easy 3:17
Written-By – Earl Randle
22    The Soul Of A Man 3:13
Written-By – Oliver Sain
23    Light My Fire 2:50
Written-By – Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger
24    Miss Pitiful 2:21
Written-By – Otis Redding, Steve Cropper

ETTA JAMES – Tell Mama (1968-1987) The Original Chess Masters | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Leonard Chess dispatched Etta James to Muscle Shoals in 1967, and the move paid off with one of her best and most soul-searing Cadet albums. Produced by Rick Hall, the resultant album boasted a relentlessly driving title cut, the moving soul ballad "I'd Rather Go Blind," and sizzling covers of Otis Redding's "Security" and Jimmy Hughes' "Don't Lose Your Good Thing," and a pair of fine Don Covay copyrights. The skin-tight session aces at Fame Studios really did themselves proud behind Miss Peaches. Bill Dahl
Tracklist :
1    Tell Mama 2:20
Written-By – Clarence Carter, M. Daniel, W. Tercell
2    I'd Rather Go Blind 2:33
Written-By – Billy Foster, Ellington Jordan
3    Watch Dog 2:06
Written-By – Don Covay
4    The Love Of My Man 2:37
Written-By – Ed Townsend
5    I'm Gonna Take What He's Got 2:32
Written-By – Don Covay
6    The Same Rope 2:39
Written-By – Leonard Caston, Lloyd Webster
7    Security 2:44
Written-By – Margaret Wessen, Otis Redding
8    Steal Away 2:19
Written-By – Jimmy Hughes
9    My Mother-In-Law 2:20
Written-By – George David, Lee Diamond
10    Don't Lose Your Good Thing 2:26
Written-By – Rick Hall, Lyndon Oldham
11    It Hurts Me So Much 2:34
Written-By – Charles Chalmers
12    Just A Little Bit 2:11
Written-By – Rosco Gordon
Credits :    
Arranged By, Producer – Rick Hall & Staff
Bass – David Hood
Drums – Roger G. Hawkins
Guitar – Albert Lowe Jr., Jimmy Ray Johnson
Organ – Barry Beckett (tracks: 6, 7, 9), Carl Banks (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 12)
Organ, Piano – Dewey Oldham (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8, 10 to 12)
Piano – George Davis (tracks: 6, 7, 9), Marvell Thomas (tracks: 6, 9)
Saxophone – Aaron Varnell, Charles Chalmers, Floyd Newman (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 12), James Mitchell (tracks: 6, 9)
Trumpet – Gene "Bowlegs" Miller
Vocals – Etta James

ETTA JAMES – Losers Weepers (1970-2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although the 1970 album Losers Weepers was not a landmark in Etta James' career, and doesn't include any of her most famous or outstanding tracks, it's a solid enough album that has an edge on some of the other LPs from the later part of her time with Chess Records. To its credit, it doesn't seem to be trying as hard or self-consciously to absorb some influences from contemporary soul trends; largely, it lets James do what she does best: give romantic songs everything she's got, without holding back on some of her grittiest phrasing and throatiest belting. Were the material up to her vocal finesse, this would be up there with the likes of what Aretha Franklin was doing at the time. It's not, but the songs are OK vehicles for her tense and frustrated takes on love. The title track gave her a small R&B hit, and is certainly the best song here. If it's a little reminiscent of her own "I'd Rather Go Blind" in the verse, the jubilant, ascending chorus sets it off as a worthwhile tune on its own merits (and the next track, "Weepers," is a "part two" of sorts that also served as the B-side). It's a satisfying mix of ballads and more uptempo cuts (like "Look at the Rain," written by Jackie Edwards, famous for writing early hits for the Spencer Davis Group), also putting some pop into the arrangements and melodies alongside the expected soul. Richie Unterberger
Losers Weepers    
1    Take Out Some Insurance 2:58
Written-By – Leon Bonds
2    I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good 4:30
Written-By – Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster
3    I Think It's You 3:56
Written-By – Gene Barge
4    Someone 3:50
Written-By – George Soule, Richard Cherry
5    Losers Weepers 2:33
Written-By – Leon Bonds
6    Weepers 2:33
Written-By – Gene Barge, Leon Bonds
7    You're The Fool 2:40
Written-By – Sharon McMahan
8    Hold Back My Tears 6:07
Written-By – Alfonzo Thompson, Jimmy Cobb
9    For All We Know 3:28
Written-By – J Fred Coots, Sam M Lewis
10    Look At The Rain 3:04
Written-By – Jackie Edwards
11    Ease Away A Little Bit At A Time 3:40
Written-By – Clyde Otis, Rose Marie McCoy, Samson Horton
- BONUS TRACKS -
12    The Love Of My Man 2:39
Written-By – Ed Townsend
13    Tighten Up Your Own Thing 2:40
Written-By – Pearl Woods
14    Quick Reaction And Satisfaction 2:34
Written-By – Pearl Woods
15    Nothing From Nothing Leaves Nothing 3:34
Written-By – Johnny Morisette
16    The Sound Of Love 2:48
Written-By – Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb
17    The Man I Love 2:47
Written-By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
18    I Found A Love 3:24
Written-By – Robert West, Willie Schofield, Wilson Pickett
19    W.O.M.A.N. 3:14
Written-By – Abbye Mallory, Dorothy Hawkins, Etta James, Jean Mitchell
20    Tell It Like It Is 3:23
Written-By – George Davis, Lee Diamond
21    Never My Love 3:49
Written-By – Dick Addrisi, Don Addrisi
22    I Never Meant To Love Him 3:52
Written-By – Ronald Carson, Teri McFaddin

ETTA JAMES – Etta James Sings Funk (1970) LP | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Tighten Up Your Own Thing 2:40
Written-By – Pearl Woods
2    Sweet Memories 3:35
Written-By – Mickey Newbury
3    Quick Reaction And Satisfaction 2:35
Written-By – Pearl Woods
4    Nothing From Nothing Leaves Nothing 3:30
Written-By – J. Morisette
5    My Man Is Together 4:10
Written-By – Pearl Woods
6    Are My Thoughts With You 3:30
Written-By – Mickey Newbury
7    The Man I Love 3:50
Written-By – G. & I. Gershwin
8    Sound Of Love 2:50
Written-By – Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
9    When I Stop Dreaming 2:35
Written By – I. & C. Louvin
Written-By – C. Louvin, I. Louvin
10    What Fools We Mortals Be 3:05
Written-By – Rogers, Taub, Ling
11    Your Replacement 3:07
Written-By – Pearl Woods 

ETTA JAMES – Come a Little Closer (1974-1996) RM | Legendary Masters Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Etta James was fighting serious substance abuse problems when this album was recorded, commuting to the sessions from a rehab center. It was a triumph simply to complete the record at all. Although James' life may have been in rough shape outside of the studio, she delivered a fairly strong set that fused forceful '70s soul arrangements with some rock (Randy Newman and John Kay both contribute compositions), jazz, and New Orleans R&B. Some of the material is routine, but there are some very strong cuts, like a rousing "Sookie Sookie" and "Out on the Street Again," with its slightly sinister funk groove. "Feeling Uneasy," in fact, counts as one of the unsung highlights of her career, with a wrenching, near-wordless scat-moan vocal over a suitably languorous, melancholy blues-jazz arrangement. Richie Unterberger
Tracklist :
1     Out on the Street Again 4:21
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler
2     Mama Told Me 2:31
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler / Catherine C. Williamson
3     You Give Me What I Want 3:40
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler
4     Come a Little Closer 3:32
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler / Catherine C. Williamson
5     Let's Burn Down the Cornfield 3:46
Randy Newman
6     Power Play 3:26
John Kay
7     Feeling Uneasy 2:51
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler
8     St. Louis Blues 4:32
W.C. Handy
9     Gonna Have Some Fun Tonight 4:03
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler
10     Sookie, Sookie 3:09
Don Covay / Steve Cropper
- BONUS TRACKS -
11     Lovin' Arms 3:50
Tom Jans
12     Out on the Street Again [Single Edit] 3:44
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler
Credits :    
Arranged By – Trevor Lawrence (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Backing Vocals – Carlena Williams (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Gwen Edwards (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Venetta Fields (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Bass – Chuck Rainey (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Drums – Ken 'Spider' Rice (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Guitar – Danny Kortchmar (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Ken Marco (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Lowell George (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Wah Wah Watson* (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Horns – Bobby Keys (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Charles Dinwiddie (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), David Allan Duke* (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Gene Cipriano (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Jim Horn (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Lew McCreary (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Steve Madaio (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Trevor Lawrence (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Keyboards – Larry Nash (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Percussion – Gary Coleman (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Producer, Keyboards – Gabriel Meckler (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Synthesizer – Larry Mizell (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)

ETTA JAMES – Deep in the Night (1978-1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Originally released on Warners Brothers to scant acclaim in 1978, this Jerry Wexler-produced masterpiece finds James in astounding voice with a batch of great material to apply her massive interpretive powers to. The band, including the cream of the late-'70s Los Angeles session hot-shots (Cornell Dupree, Jeff Porcaro, Chuck Rainey, Plas Johnson, Jim Horn), lays it down soulful and simple and the result is a modern-day R&B classic. Highlights abound throughout, but special attention must be turned to James' takes on "Only Women Bleed" and the Eagles' "Take It to the Limit." Cub Koda
Tracklist :
1     Laying Beside You 4:02
Eugene Record
2     Piece of My Heart 3:45
Bert Berns / Doctor Ragavoy / Jerry Ragovoy
3     Only Women Bleed 4:10
Alice Cooper / Dick Wagner
4     Take It to the Limit 4:07
Glenn Frey / Don Henley / Randy Meisner
5     Deep in the Night 4:57
Frank Miller
6     Lovesick Blues 3:36
Cliff Friend / Irving Mills
7     Strange Man 3:23
Dorothy Love Coates
8     Sugar on the Floor 4:43
Kiki Dee
9     Sweet Touch of Love 3:20
Allen Toussaint
10     Blind Girl 5:11
Ellington Jordan
Credits :    
Arranged By [Horn Arrangemnet] – Keith Johnson (tracks: 6)
Arranged By [Horn Arrangment] – Jimmy Haskell (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 10)
Arranged By [Rhythm Track Arrangments] – Larry Carlton
Arranged By [String Arrangments] – Jimmy Haskell
Backing Vocals – Gilbert Ivey, Henry Jackson, Joyce Austin, Merry Clayton, Reuben Franklin
Backing Vocals, Leader [Backing Vocals] – Alexander Hamilton
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Drums – Jeff Porcaro
Electric Piano – Keith Johnson
Guitar [Lead] – Cornell Dupree
Guitar [Rhythm] – Larry Carlton
Guitar [Slide ] – Brian Ray
Organ, Piano – Richard Tee
Percussion – Tom Roady
Saxophone – Jim Horn, Plas Johnson

ETTA JAMES – Etta Is Betta Than Evvah! (1976-2013) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Released in 1976, when Etta James wasn't ruling the charts by any means but wasn't adverse to the idea of climbing back into the Top 40, Etta Is Bettah Than Evvah! bears a boastful title and its ten funky cuts do not lack for bravado. Nevertheless, it's very difficult to agree that Etta is better than ever here. Part of the problem is that the songs are just kind of generic: good-enough uptempo dance cuts and midtempo groovers, songs that give enough space for Etta but never really escape the confines of average '70s disco-oriented R&B. James certainly sings her heart out, or at least throws her all into the pulsating wah-wah and clavinet grooves, and all the participants are immaculate professionals, always avoiding embarrassment (with the notable exception of "Jump into Love"), but the whole thing winds up as nothing more than vaguely pleasing, a '70s funk-soul record fronted by a singer who never quite seems invested in the fashion she's wearing. The ten bonus tracks added to Kent/Ace's 2013 reissue -- cobbled together from Chess LPs from 1973-1975, plus a few cuts that didn't see release until years later -- are enjoyable (including two Randy Newman covers) but don't really change the character of this fun enough but ultimately forgettable period soul. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1     Woman (Shake Your Booty) 5:54
Dorothy Hawkins / Etta James / Abbey Mallory / Jean Mitchell / Brian Ray
2     A Love Vibration 2:57
Don Bryant / Bernard Miller / Ann Peebles
3     Only a Fool 2:39
Etta James / Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler
4     Little Bit of Love 2:31
Fred Beckmeier
5     Groove Me 3:34
King Floyd
6     Jump into Love 3:23
Dennis Belfield / Ron Stockert
7     Leave Your Hat On 3:22
Randy Newman
8     I've Been a Fool 3:09
Fred Beckmeier
9     Blinded by Love 3:16
Allen Toussaint
10     Ain't No Pity in the Naked City 4:43
Phil Medley / Buddy Scott
- BONUS TRACKS -
11     You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 6:09
Barry Mann / Phil Spector / Cynthia Weil
12     Down So Low 3:40
Tracy Nelson
13     All the Way Down 5:32
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler / Catherine C. Williamson
14     God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) 3:37
Randy Newman
15     Power Play 3:25
John Kay
16     Come a Little Closer 3:29
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler / Catherine C. Williamson
17     Feeling Uneasy 2:49
Trevor Lawrence / Gabriel Mekler
18     St. Louis Blues 4:33
W.C. Handy
19     Let's Burn Down the Cornfield 3:44
Randy Newman
20     Lovin' Arms 3:47
Tom Jans

ETTA JAMES | EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON – Blues In The Night (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded live at Marla's Memory Lane Supper Club in Los Angeles, this 1986 date finds Etta James in front of a superb combo fronted by Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, with Red Holloway, Jack McDuff, and Shuggie Otis providing the supple and swinging backdrop. Vinson is featured on "Kidney Stew," "When My Baby Left Me," and "Railroad Porter Blues" before the turning the stage over to Etta, who provides a blistering "Something's Got a Hold on Me" and a sultry three-song medley of "At Last," "Trust Me," and "Sunday Kind of Love." The two stars duet on Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love" before Etta closes the show with strong readings of "Lover Man" and "Misty." The small crowd's enthusiastic response makes this a show you wish you were there for; this disc is the next best thing to it. Cub Koda  
Tracklist :
1     Kidney Stew Blues 4:56
Leona Blackman / Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
2     When My Baby Left Me 6:15
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson / Cootie Williams
3     Railroad Porter's Blues 3:18
Jessie Mae Robinson / Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
4     Something's Got a Hold on Me 6:00
Etta James / Leroy Kirkland / Pearl Woods
5     Medley: At Last/Trust Me/Sunday Kind of Love 6:11
Willie Dixon / Mack Gordon / Harry Warren / Ned Wever
6     I Just Want to Make Love to You 5:47
Willie Dixon
7     Please Send Me Someone to Love 5:00
Percy Mayfield
8     Lover Man 4:57
Jimmy Davis / Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
9     Misty 7:53
Johnny Burke / Erroll Garner
Credits :    
Bass – Richard Reid
Drums – Paul Humphrey
Guitar – Shuggie Otis
Leader, Saxophone [Alto], Saxophone [Baritone], Saxophone [Tenor] – Red Holloway
Organ [Hammond] – Jack McDuff
Vocals – Etta James
Vocals, Saxophone [Alto] – Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson

ETTA JAMES | EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON – The Late Show (1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Cleanhead Blues 5:29
Jessie Mae Robinson / Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
2     Old Maid Boogie 4:53
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson        
3     Home Boy 3:37
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson    
4     Cherry Red 4:12
Pete Johnson / Big Joe Turner
5     Baby, What You Want Me to Do 5:59
Jimmy Reed
6     Sweet Little Angel 8:45
B.B. King / Jules Taub
7    I'd Rather Go Blind 6:50
Bill Foster / Ellington Jordan
8     Teach Me Tonight 4:01
Sammy Cahn / Gene DePaul    
9     Only Women Bleed 4:41
Alice Cooper / Dick Wagner
10     He's Got the Whole World in His Hands 4:20
Traditional
Credits :    
Bass – Richard Reid
Drums – Paul Humphrey
Guitar – Shuggie Otis
Leader, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, MC – Red Holloway
Organ [Hammond] – Jack McDuff (tracks: 9)
Vocals – Etta James
Vocals, Alto Saxophone – Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson

ETTA JAMES – Stickin' To My Guns (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Whatever Gets You Through the Night 3:48
Bucky Lindsey / Dan Penn / Carson Whitsett
Lead Guitar – Arik Marshall
2     Love to Burn 3:29
Dobie Gray / Ricky Ray Rector / Bud Reneau
Lead Guitar – Arik Marshall
3     The Blues Don't Care 3:41
Etta James / Brian Ray
Piano – Jimmy Pugh
Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar – Josh Sklair
Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – David L. Patterson
Trombone – John Dewey McKnight
Trumpet, Arranged By [Trumpet] – Fernando Pullum
4     Your Good Thing (Is About to End) 3:52
Isaac Hayes / David Porter
Piano – Jimmy Pugh
5    Get Funky 4:45
Danny Rhodes
Bass – Bobby Vega
Lead Guitar – Leo Nocentelli
Percussion – Greg "Smacky" Donerson
Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – David L. Patterson
Trombone – John Dewey McKnight
Trumpet, Arranged By [Trumpet] – Fernando Pullum
Vocals – Def Jef
6     Beware 3:39
Eric Randle
Lead Guitar – Leo Nocentelli
7     Out of the Rain 4:33
Tony Joe White
8     Stolen Affection 3:52
Jim Hurt
Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar – Josh Sklair
9     A Fool in Love 3:24
Andy Fraser / Frankie Miller
Tenor Saxophone [Solo] – Gene Dinwiddie
10     I've Got Dreams to Remember 4:28
Otis Redding / Zelma Redding / Joe Rock
Piano – Jimmy Pugh
Credits :    
Backing Vocals – Ashley Cleveland, Carol Chase, Dobie Gray, Jonell Mosser, Thomas Cain
Bass – Michael Rhodes
Drums – Roger Hawkins
Horn – Jack Hale, Jim Horn & The Horn Section, Michael Haynes, Quitman Dennis
Keyboards – Barry Beckett, Jim Pugh
Lead Guitar – Reggie Young
Rhythm Guitar – Danny Rhodes, Gary Burnette, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges
Synthesizer – Mike Lawler

ETTA JAMES – The Right Time (1992) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A myriad of big names came together for the making of this album. Jerry Wexler produced The Right Time, and Etta James' sidemen include Steve Cropper and Lucky Peterson -- but the final product is a disappointment. It's just too slickly rendered to come close to the knockout punch of her vintage Chess material. Bill Dahl
Tracklist :
1     I Sing the Blues 5:42
Earl T. Bridgeman / Philip Wooten
Harmonica – Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson
2     Love and Happiness 4:24
Al Green / Mabon "Teenie" Hodges
3     Evening of Love 3:35
Ava Aldridge / Cindy Richardson
Acoustic Guitar – Will McFarlane
Backing Vocals – Cindy Walker, George Soulé, Marie Lewey
4     Wet Match 2:59
Rosetta Anderson / Johnnie Davis / Johnny Davis / George Jackson
Backing Vocals – George Jackson
5     You're Taking Up Another Man's Place 3:40
Isaac Hayes / David Porter
6     Give It Up 3:38
Allen Toussaint
Etta James Duet With Steve Winwood
7     Let It Rock 3:27
Etta James / Josh Sklair
8     Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do) 2:58
Steve Cropper / Eddie Floyd / Wilson Pickett
9     You've Got Me 4:09
Lawrence Russell Brown / Russell Brown / Billy Vera
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Will McFarlane
10     Night Time Is the Right Time 5:03
Lew Herman
11     Down Home Blues 4:39
George Jackson
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone, Arranged By [Horns] – Hank Crawford
Arranged By [Rhythm] – Clayton Ivey
Baritone Saxophone – Jim Horn
Bass – David Hood (tracks: 6, 10), Willie Weeks (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 9, 11)
Drums – Roger Hawkins (tracks: 6, 10), Steve Ferrone (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 9, 11)
Electric Piano [Wurlitzer] – Clayton Ivey (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 8)
Guitar – Jay Johnson (tracks: 7, 10, 11), Jimmy Johnson (tracks: 6, 10), Lucky Peterson (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 11), Steve Cropper (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 9, 11), Will McFarlane (tracks: 6, 10)
Organ – Lucky Peterson
Percussion – Tom Roady (tracks: 1, 2)
Synthesizer – Frankie Crawford (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 11)
Technician [Drum] – Artie Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Harvey Thompson
Trumpet – Gary Armstrong, Mike Haynes
Vocals – Etta James

ETTA JAMES – Mystery Lady : Songs of Billie Holiday (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The popular Etta James usually performs raunchy single-entendre blues, so this surprisingly subtle outing is a real change of pace. She sounds quite laid-back on a set of ballads associated with Billie Holiday and utilizes a jazz rhythm section led by pianist Cedar Walton plus three horn players, including the great Red Holloway on tenor and alto. James makes no attempts at exploring uptempo material or scatting, sticking to soulful interpretations of the classic ballads. Despite the lack of variety in tempos, the music is quite satisfying. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Don't Explain 5:15
Written-By – Arthur Herzog Jr, Billie Holiday
2    You've Changed 4:34
Written-By – Bill Carey, Carl Fischer
3    The Man I Love 4:26
Written-By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
4    I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance (With You) 4:16
Written-By – Bing Crosby, Ned Washington, Victor Young
5    Lover Man (Where Can You Be) 5:24
Written-By – Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Sherman, Roger Ramirez
6    Embraceable You 3:55
Written-By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
7    How Deep Is The Ocean? 4:18
Written-By – Irving Berlin
8    (I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over 5:45
Written-By – Allie Wrubel, Herb Magidson
9    Body And Soul 4:15
Written-By – Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, John Green, Bob Sour
10    The Very Thought Of You 4:30
Written-By – Ray Noble
11    I'll Be Seeing You 4:44
Written-By – Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Red Holloway
Arranged By – Cedar Walton
Bass – Tony Dumas
Drums – Ralph Penland
Flugelhorn – Ronnie Buttacavoli
Guitar – Josh Sklair
Percussion – Ralph Penland
Piano – Cedar Walton
Tenor Saxophone – Red Holloway
Trombone – Kraig Kilby
Trumpet – Ronnie Buttacavoli
Vocals – Etta James 

ETTA JAMES – Live from San Francisco (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Commercially, the 1970s weren't nearly as kind to Etta James as the 1950s and '60s had been. The sleekness that characterized Northern "uptown" soul and disco didn't appeal to the big-voiced belter, who stuck to her guns and continued to embrace the type of gritty, hard-hitting Southern soul and down-home blues that had earned her so devoted a following. Though absent from Black radio playlists, she had no problem attracting enthusiastic live audiences. At 41, James sounds like she's very much in her prime on this live recording from 1981. Whether tearing into an Otis Redding medley, her hit "Tell Mama" or Chicago blues staples like Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and Jimmy Reed's "Baby, What You Want Me to Do," the earthy singer clearly excels by sticking with what she does best. One of the CD's most pleasant surprises is a version of the Eagles' "Take It to the Limit," which works remarkably well in an R&B setting. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1     I Just Want to Make Love to You 2:52
Willie Dixon
2     Take It to the Limit 5:54
Glenn Frey / Don Henley / Randy Meisner
3     Baby, What You Want Me to Do 4:51
Jimmy Reed
4     Sugar on the Floor 6:05
Kiki Dee / Elton John
5     Tell Mama 3:55
Clarence Carter / Marcus Daniel / Wilbur Terrell
6     I'd Rather Go Blind 4:48
Bill Foster / Ellington Jordan
7     Otis Redding Medley: Hard to Handle/Just One More Day/Can't Turn ... 9:24
Steve Cropper / Alvertis Isbell / Allen Jones / Otis Redding
8     Born Blue 3:29
Jerry Williams, Jr.

ETTA JAMES – Time After Time (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Casual fans of Etta James most often thought of her as a blues singer, and she was, when that was what she wanted to do, but she also sang straight girl group pop, belted out R&B and soul tunes, and she also, when she chose, took herself uptown and sang jazz. That's the case here, as James elegantly delivers her versions of vocal jazz standards like Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne's "Time After Time" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You," in front of a tight and fluid big band comprised of Josh Sklair (guitar), Eddie Harris and Herman Riley (tenor saxophone), Ronnie Buttacavoli (trumpet, flügelhorn), Kraig Kilby (trombone), Cedar Walton (piano), John Clayton (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums), and Donto Metto James (shakers). It's all graceful and uptown, and James' singing is hauntingly beautiful. Steve Leggett
Tracklist :
1     Don't Go to Strangers 5:00
Redd Evans / Arthur Kent / Dave Mann
2     Teach Me Tonight 4:59
Sammy Cahn / Gene DePaul
3     Love Is Here to Stay 4:29
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
4     The Nearness of You 6:32
Hoagy Carmichael / Ned Washington
5     Time After Time 4:23
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
6     My Funny Valentine 5:46
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
7     Everybody's Somebody's Fool 5:15
Howard Greenfield / Jack Keller
8     Fool That I Am 3:58
Floyd Hunt
9     Willow Weep for Me 6:23
Ann Ronell
10     Imagination 6:51
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
11     Night and Day 4:16
Cole Porter
12     Someone to Watch Over Me 6:00
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
Credits :    
Arranged By, Piano – Cedar Walton
Bass – John Clayton (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 12)
Drums – Paul Humphrey (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 12)
Flugelhorn – Ronnie Buttacavoli (tracks: 6, 8 to 10)
Guitar – Josh Sklair (tracks: 1 to 10, 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Eddie Harris (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 12), Herman Riley (tracks: 4, 7, 9 to 11)
Trombone – Kraig Kilby (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12)
Trumpet – Ronnie Buttacavoli (tracks: 7)
Vocals – Etta James