Sublimely soulful work from
Irene Reid – at one level a record that's in the field between jazz and soul, like albums from Gloria Lynne or Nancy Wilson at the time – but at another level, a key indication of
Irene's strong strong vocal approach – one that's much deeper and more soulful than most of her contemporaries in the genre! Clyde Otis handles the arrangements, often using strings in a sweeping way in the background – never sleepy, but to emphasize the richness of
Irene's vocals – but the real star of the set is
Reid herself, singing in a majestically powerful mode that would captivate even without any other instrumentation at all! Titles include "This Bitter Earth", "If He Walked Into My Life", "A Man Only Does", "For Once In My Life", "I'm Too Far Gone To Turn Around", "Why Did I Choose You", and "Somewhere Along The Line".
(Cover has just a touch of light wear & aging, but is great overall!)