Ethel Waters was one of the earliest major female jazz vocalists, though after her early years she moved on to other things. This Timeless CD compiles 78-rpm discs recorded between 1929 and 1939 for various labels with differing groups of musicians, beautifully remastered by engineer John R.T. Davies.
Waters' superb diction and rich voice stand out throughout the release as she performs a variety of show tunes and popular songs that eventually became standards. Due to the brief length of the recordings, there are not very many instrumental breaks, though
Benny Goodman is featured on clarinet in the amusing take of "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone." Another highlight is the session featuring
Waters backed by
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, which includes a sublime "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and a lush take of "Porgy." Recommended. ~ Ken Dryden