If you want to know where today’s R&B sound originated with the ladies at the mic, you don’t have to look further than Ruth Brown (1928-2006). Overshadowed by Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin, Ms. Brown really started it all, with some foot stomping singles and smoky albums, all included in this essential four disc, 108 song collection that you’ll be playing all the way through all through the week.
Her voice had that classic mix of church sanctification, sensuous soul and gritty back road sass, creating a perfect lead for the smoky and low ceilinged R&B hits of the late 40s to 50s like “Teardrops From My Eyes”, “5-10-15 Hours”, the fun “Lucky Lips” and the preaching “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean”. There’s a defiance in her voice that hooks you and reels you in like you’re a 15 pound salmon.
There’s also a healthy collection of her albums, searing with husband/tenor saxist Willis Jackson on “Mambo Baby”. Her Late Date album from 1959 is an absolute classic, including Hank Jones/p, Milt Hinton/b and Mundell Lowe/g on noir alley reads of “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” and “We’ll Be Together Again”. The same year she puts another beaut, including the romantic “I Hope We Meet” and the pumper “Why Me” while reaching the upper and lower ranges effortlessly on “I Can’t Hear A Word You Say”. Who let her off her chain?!? Her last album covered here has her spitting out sass on “Jim dandy” and adding muscle to Ellington pieces “I’m Beginning To See The Light” and “I’m Just A Lucky So and So”.
This lady spits out lighting bolts with every syllable-check out this honey of a hush.