Dinah Washington - Spotlight on Dinah Washington (2021)

Dinah Washington was at once one of the most beloved and controversial singers of the mid-20th century -- beloved to her fans, devotees, and fellow singers; controversial to critics who still accuse her of selling out her art to commerce and bad taste. Her principal sin, apparently, was to cultivate a distinctive vocal style that was at home in all kinds of music, be it R&B, blues, jazz, middle of the road pop -- and she probably would have made a fine gospel or country singer had she the time. Hers was a gritty, salty, high-pitched voice, marked by absolute clarity of diction and clipped, bluesy phrasing. Washington's personal life was turbulent, with seven marriages behind her, and her interpretations showed it, for she displayed a tough, totally unsentimental, yet still gripping hold on the universal subject of lost love. She has had a huge influence on R&B and jazz singers who have followed in her wake, notably Nancy Wilson, Esther Phillips, and Diane Schuur, and her music is abundantly available nowadays via the huge seven-volume series The Complete Dinah Washington on Mercury.

Tracklist
01. What A Diff'rence A Day Makes
02. Teach Me Tonight
03. Sunny Side Of The Street
04. September In The Rain
05. Blow Top Blues
06. You Can Depend On Me (Single Version)
07. I Could Write A Book
08. Ain't Misbehavin'
09. Mixed Emotions (Single Version)
10. Half As Much (Single Version)
11. Sometimes I'm Happy
12. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You
13. All Of Me
14. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
15. Make The Man Love Me
16. Look To The Rainbow
17. Time After Time (First Version)
18. Bewitched
19. Make Me A Present Of You
20. Trouble In Mind
21. Cold Cold Heart
22. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?
23. Let's Do It
24. Love Walked In
25. I Thought About You
26. Let's Fall In Love
27. More Than You Know
28. Mad About The Boy
29. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
30. Such A Night (Single Version)
31. Hey, Good Looking (Single Version)
32. Relax Max (Single Version)
33. I Get A Kick Out Of You
34. I Won't Cry Anymore
35. This Bitter Earth
36. Crazy Love (Live At Newport Jazz Festival, 1958)
37. After You've Gone
38. Cry Me A River
39. Stairway To The Stars
40. It's Magic
41. Alone Together (Live In Los Angeles, 1954)
42. I've Got A Crush On You
43. Our Love Is Here To Stay
44. Easy Living
45. I Remember Clifford
46. Please Send Me Someone To Love (Single Version)
47. If I Had You
48. Evil Gal Blues
49. What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry? (Single Version)
50. It Could Happen To You
51. Let Me Love You
52. Blue Gardenia
53. I Concentrate On You
54. I've Got You Under My Skin
55. You Don't Know What Love Is
56. The Song Is Ended (But The Melody Lingers On)
57. Just One More Chance
58. Blue Skies
59. Big Long Slidin' Thing
60. Dinah Tells A Joke