Etta James - At Last! (1960)

This is Etta James's first full-length album, recorded for Chess Records' Argo subsidiary in 1960. It taps all aspects of her then-blossoming talent. There's the crooning rock ballad "My Dearest Darling" and the elegantly symphonic "Sunday Kind of Love". Her classic, broken-hearted "All I Could Do Was Cry" follows the sweet title track and the bawdy blues stomper "I Just Want to Make Love to You". And there's a version of Harold Arlen's "Stormy Weather", which Lena Horne made famous. James's fine way with such a wide embrace of material wouldn't again be this well displayed on a single album until she was united with producer Jerry Wexler for 1977's Deep in the Night.

When Etta James signed with Chess Records in 1960, the label decided to pair her raw, bluesy singing with a full backing band and lush orchestrations. AT LAST!, her Chess debut, shows the formula working to fine effect, especially in the way it highlights James's facility with different approaches including torchy ballads, jazz crooning, growling blues, andR&B shouting. She sounds equally at home on Willie Dixon stompers ("I Just Want To Make Love To You"), standards ("Stormy Weather"), and down-tempo soul workouts (the beautiful title track).
James performs several duets with Moonglows vocalist (and then-boyfriend) Harvey Fuqua, including Dixon's"Spoonful", the duo's self-penned "My Heart Cries", and thechart-hit "If I Can't Have You". The emotionally wrenching "All I Could Do Is Cry" (the lyrics have the singer watchingher beloved marry another), and soothing, romantic "Trust in Me" were hits on both the pop and R&B charts, assuring thesinger's name recognition and paving the way for her futuresuccesses. AT LAST! is a fine set of R&B, blues, and jazz songs that showcase James's versatility and powerhouse pipes.

1. Anything To Say You're Mine
2. My Dearest Darling
3. Trust In Me
4. Sunday Kind Of Love
5. Tough Mary
6. I Just Want To Make Love To You
7. At Last
8. All I Can Do Is Cry
9. Stormy Weather L
10. Girl Of My Dreams
11. My Heart Cries
12. Spoonful
13. It's A Crying Shame
14. If I Can't Have You
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