Some of the greatest jazz singers struggled when it came to singing other genres. Ella Fitzgerald, for example, sounded less convincing as a straight-ahead blues singer (These Are The Blues, 1963), and uncomfortable attempting pop/rock - witness her attempt at Cream's Sunshine Of Your Love from the album of the same name in 1968. The same can be said of many of Sarah Vaughan's 'crossover' albums, such as Pop Art (1966). Of course, the record labels have to take most of the responsibility for these failures, with their attempts to cash-in on the latest trends.
Other artists proved more adept at covering different material. Dinah Washington started out as a jazz singer, but her voice and phrasing adapted well to the blues, and she also also had numerous hits in the R&B and pop charts. Ray Charles started as an R&B singer, but as the 1960s commenced, tried his hand at jazz and country with massive success. In the same vein, we tend to think of Esther Phillips as primarily an R&B singer, but the 1960s - her second phase, if you will - saw her record jazz/easy-listening albums, country and blues - all within the space of three years. And this, of course, was part of the problem - she sounded convincing in all of these genres, and her record label - Atlantic - did not know how to classify her.
The Original Album Series collects the five albums that Esther Phillips recorded for Atlantic in the 1960s, complete with replica cardboard sleeves, and houses them in a flimsy box. No extras, no booklet - but with five fabulous CDs for the price of one, it's a winning formula.
Esther Phillips was originally discovered at a talent contest by Johnny Otis in 1949, and recorded her first album the following year at the age of just fifteen under the name Little Esther Phillips. She enjoyed a string of hits in the early 1950s, with eight Top Ten R&B hits between 1950 and 1952. But the then the hits started to dry up, and she started to hang around with a bad crowd. There were rumours of drug addiction, and the fact that she was in the same room as Johnny Ace when he accidentally shot himself on Christmas Day, 1954, probably didn't help matters. She returned home to live with her parents in Houston, and only started working again on a regular basis in the early 1960s.
It was in Houston that she was 'discovered' for a second time. The country singer, Kenny Rogers, watched her perform in a local nightclub, and then helped her get a contract with his brother Lelan’s Lenox Record label. Her career was relaunched as Esther Phillips, and her comeback single, Release Me, reached number one in the R&B Charts and number eight in the US Billboard 100. A number of other singles were released on Lenox, before Esther signed to Atlantic Records in 1965.
Atlantic Records was primarily an R&B label at that time, but rather than take her back to her R&B roots, or try to replicate her country success, they asked her to record an album of easy listening music - or jazz-light - with the conductor and arranger Ray Ellis, who had orchestrated Lady In Satin for Billie Holiday in 1958. The gamble paid off. The first single - And I Love Him - a cover of the Beatles classic, was a big hit, reaching number 11 in the US R&B charts, and even grabbing the attention of the Beatles themselves, who invited her to perform in the UK - her first overseas concert. The resulting album, And I Love Him! (***), is probably closer to easy-listening than jazz, but has its moments. Whilst some of the material is below par, like Shangri-La, Ellis recognises the strength of her singing, and leaves it centre-stage. Her unique voice - with its smoky, soulful tone - can be heard to good effect on the single, whilst Moonglow, Makin' Whoopee and Girl From Ipanema are amongst the album's other highlights.
Her follow-up album, Esther Phillips Sings (****) was released in early 1966, and was a stronger album. Whilst Ray Ellis arranged four of the twelve tracks, most of the remainder were by the great Oliver Nelson, so it has a much jazzier feel to it. The material is also stronger on this album, and when Nelson adds his distinctive touch to Crazy He Calls Me and A Taste Of Honey - and you combine it with her incredible voice - you're in for a treat. Sadly, the album contained no hits. She returned to the studio in May 1966 to record When A Woman Loves A Man, a version of the Percy Sledge hit - but it failed to have the same impact as her Beatles cover, peaking at number 26 on the R&B chart. Sadly, the single is not included here.
At this point, the record label appears to have had a re-think, and asked her to return to country music in a bid to replicate the success of Release Me. The original single was re-recorded for a new album, The Country Side Of Esther Phillips (***) which was arranged by Cliff Parman. The album includes Hank Williams's I Can't Help It and Charlie Rich's No Headstone On My Grave. The arrangements are very much in the Nashville-style of that time, with cloying strings and backing vocals, but Esther Phillips acquits herself with aplomb, and it's not a bad album. Once again, however, there were no hits, and the album failed to chart.
Esther Phillips appeared at the Newport festival later that year, and then returned to the recording studio in October 1966 to start work on a straight-ahead blues album. The arranger on this occasion was a Texan bandleader called Onzy Matthews, who had also worked with the likes of Lou Rawls. According to the original liner notes, at least two recording sessions were made, with slightly different personnel, and a total of seven songs were recorded. But from what I can gather, the album was never finished, and a result, not released at that time. Her problems with narcotics are thought to have resurfaced around this time, and she went into rehab. Atlantic seem to have dropped her as an artist at this time, and she did not resurface until 1969, when she recorded a handful of singles for Roulette. The blues album, entitled Confessin' The Blues (****), was eventually released in 1976. The original studio recordings were paired with a burning club date from 1970, recorded at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper club in Los Angeles. By that stage, she seems to have fully recovered, and is on blisteringly good form, lending her fabulous voice to an impressive array of material, including Cole Porter's I Love Paris and Bye Bye Blackbird, as well as a lengthy blues medley. Despite the disjointed nature of the recording, this album is highly recommended.
Her return to good health caught the attention of Atlantic Records once more, and she recorded one final album for the label, Burnin' (*****) in 1970. Once again, the album was recorded live at the Pied Piper Club, and found the singer at the top of her game, performing with a top-notch band, that were far more sympathetic to her style than any of the preceding studio sessions. For the first time, we get the chance to hear her perform what she wants to perform - she includes the hits, And I Love Him and Release Me, but she does them her way, stripped back and soulful, and all the better for it. It was by far her biggest hit for the label, reaching number 7 on the Billboard chart.
But that was it for Atlantic Records, and the second phase of her career. Within one year, she had signed for Creed Taylor's Kudu Records, where she was given far more freedom in terms of both material and musical style. She recorded her debut album, From A Whisper To A Scream in 1971, which included the powerful Gil Scott Heron cover, Home Is Where The Hatred Is. She was nominated for a Grammy award the following year, and whilst the award went to Aretha Franklin - for Young, Gifted and Black - Aretha felt that Esther Phillips deserved the award, and gave it to her.
Phase three of her rollercoaster career had begun. It's the phase for which she is best-remembered, and includes some of her best albums, including What A Difference A Day Makes (1975). But the Atlantic years also included some gems, and the Original Album Series allows you to buy them all at a budget price. It's a great way to get to know a fine, underrated singer. Highly recommended.
