Nancy Wilson has been on the fringes of jazz throughout her career, mostly performing middle-of-the-road pop and R&B. Most of her albums were major productions, but her 1969 effort,
But Beautiful, is quite different. On a relaxed and tasteful program of ballads (including three previously unreleased numbers),
Wilson sounds properly expressive and a bit influenced by
Dinah Washington, while backed by a flawless rhythm section comprised of pianist
Hank Jones, guitarist
Gene Bertoncini, bassist
Ron Carter, and drummer
Grady Tate. Her performances are straightforward, a little soulful, and very mindful of the melody and the lyrics. There is little of jazz interest here, but this is superior ballad singing and one of
Wilson's finest recordings. ~ Scott Yanow