I don't let the Aretha Franklin collection "Jazz to Soul" out of my house these days. Over the years I've loaned several copies of the album to friends and students and none ever returned.
That's not really surprising. Almost everyone knows Aretha's recordings of "Respect," "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" and "You Make Me Feel Like (A Natural Woman." Those tunes made her the queen of soul, a musical icon. Hardcore music fans also revere Aretha's "Amazing Grace" album, a gospel gem. But most folks have never heard Franklin's early recordings for Columbia ... and many of the tracks are special.
Disc one opens with a slow, rolling rendition of "Today I Sing the Blues." You expect Aretha to bust out at any moment, but she never does and that, I think, is why the song is so powerful. The tune sounds like passion trapped in a bottle. Every note is energy packed, straining to be let loose.
If you've ever listened to Aretha's soul standards, you already knew she would have been a great blues singer and she proves it with tunes such as "(Blue) By Myself," "Blue Holiday" and "All Night Long," which is as tender and soulful as anything Aretha's ever recorded.
You might not know what a great jazz singer Aretha was when she was young. She obviously learned a lot from Dinah Washington, an early mentor. She sounds uncannily like Washington on "What a Difference a Day Makes," one of Washington's signature tunes. Aretha's voice soars on the choruses.
Aretha must have studied Billie Holiday, too, but she doesn't mimic her. Aretha's interpretation of "God Bless the Child," for example, incorporates the emotions of Holiday's version; it also adds some gospel flourishes that are straight out of the church. Other jazz standards such as "Love for Sale," "Unforgettable," "Misty" and " "Skylark" are pretty straightforward, but all are beautiful.
The album's second disc is a great resource for musicologists looking for the genesis of Aretha's classic sound. The tracks might not be quite as good as Aretha's million sellers, but folks who dismiss the recordings are foolish. Aretha races though a rousing rendition of "Soulville," her voice picking up momentum with every note. My favorites, though, are "You'll Lose a Good Thing," "Land of Dreams" and "(No, No) I'm Losing You." They're slow-burning torch songs that probably should have become classics.
As a whole, the collection sounds like a hodgepodge of styles by a young singer trying to find her voice. Individually, the songs are stunning. So buy "Jazz to Soul." Just don't loan it to anyone.
