Etta Jones's growing list of fans will find this 1962 orchestral encounter fascinating. The Billie Holiday influence that marked her earlier work is apparent, as well as a youthful lilt that at times suggests Ella Fitzgerald. Yet the poise and pure emotion that made Jones an unmistakable stylist from the outset ensure that these performances could be the work of no other vocalist. Jones always knew how to pick material, including such rarely-heard gems as "By the Bend in the River" and "Funny" among the more familiar standards. She also had a knack for working with the best musicians, and enlisted Oliver Nelson to write the distinctive arrangements that embellish these memorable heartsongs.

with Lloyd Mayers, Wally Richardson, Bob Bushnell, Ed Shaughnessy, Joe Wilder, Jerry Dodgion, Oliver Nelson, George Barrow, Bob Ashton