| Don't Go to Strangers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1960 | |||
| Recorded | June 21, 1960 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 40:55 | |||
| Label | Prestige | |||
| Producer | Rudy Van Gelder | |||
| Etta Jones chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [2] |
| DownBeat |  [3] |
Don't Go to Strangers is an album recorded in 1960 by jazz vocalist Etta Jones. It was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
This was Etta Jones' first album for the independent jazz label Prestige when it was released in 1960 (having been recorded in a single session on June 21 of that year), and although Jones had been releasing records since 1944, including a dozen sides for RCA in 1946 and an album for King Records in 1957, she was treated as an overnight sensation when the title tune from the album went gold, hitting the Top 40 on the pop charts and reaching number five on the R&B charts. [4]
A reviewer of Dusty Groove stated: "Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "'Don't go to strangers, come to me?' We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career!" [5]
Writing for DownBeat , John Tynan commented that Jones possesses a "real jazz approach that many other aspiring 'jazz' singers might well note, [making] listening to her a rewarding experience... Despite the overt similarity to Lady Day (Billie Holiday) in Miss Jones’ style, this vocalist has enough of her own to go on to much success." [3]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" | Gus Kahn | Walter Donaldson | 4:23 |
| 2. | "Don't Go to Strangers" | Redd Evans | Arthur Kent, Dave Mann | 3:51 |
| 3. | "I Love Paris" | Cole Porter | Cole Porter | 4:01 |
| 4. | "Fine and Mellow" | Billie Holiday | Billie Holiday | 5:52 |
| 5. | "Where or When" | Lorenz Hart | Richard Rodgers | 3:41 |
| 6. | "If I Had You" | Jimmy Campbell and Reg Connelly | Ted Shapiro | 3:51 |
| 7. | "On the Street Where You Live" | Alan Jay Lerner | Frederick Loewe | 3:45 |
| 8. | "Something to Remember You By" | Howard Dietz | Arthur Schwartz | 3:45 |
| 9. | "Bye Bye Blackbird" | Mort Dixon | Ray Henderson | 3:16 |
| 10. | "All the Way" | Sammy Cahn | Jimmy Van Heusen | 4:39 |
Frank Wellington Wess was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic Scott Yanow described him as one of the premier proteges of Lester Young, and a leading jazz flutist of his era—using the latter instrument to bring new colors to Basie's music.
Etta Jones was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Milt Jackson, Cedar Walton, and Houston Person.
Roy Owen Haynes is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jazz drumming. "Snap Crackle" was a nickname given to him in the 1950s.
Richard Francis Wyands was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, best known for his work as a side-man.
Johnny Dillard Lytle was an American jazz drummer and vibraphonist.
Cymbalism is an album recorded by American drummer Roy Haynes in 1963 for the New Jazz label.
Left & Right is an album by the jazz multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk, released on the Atlantic label in 1969. It contains performances by Kirk with Jim Buffington, Julius Watkins, Frank Wess, Rahn Burton, Vernon Martin and Roy Haynes, with Warren Smith, Richard Williams, Dick Griffin, Benny Powell, Pepper Adams, Alice Coltrane, Jimmy Hopps, Daniel Jones and Gerald "Sonny" Brown featuring on an extended track with orchestration by Gil Fuller.
Straight Ahead is a jazz studio album by saxophonist Oliver Nelson. It features acclaimed musicians such as Eric Dolphy on sax, clarinet and flute, and Roy Haynes on drums. It was recorded in March 1961 at the celebrated Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs. All the pieces were first takes; Joe Goldberg recalls: "The session was scheduled for one in the afternoon and I arrived at 3:30, thinking that by then the music would have been rehearsed and the men would be starting to play. What I found was a studio empty of everyone but A&R man Esmond Edwards", the supervisor, "and engineer Rudy Van Gelder, who were packing up to leave and looking very satisfied." Released in 1961 for the Prestige/New Jazz label and remastered in 1989, the album is notable for its long and thoughtful horn duets by Dolphy and Nelson. Don DeMicheal described the album "All in all, a warm, very human record".
Elvin! is a jazz album by drummer Elvin Jones recorded in 1961 and 1962 and released on the Riverside label. It features Jones playing in a group with his brothers, trumpeter Thad and pianist Hank, along with tenor saxophonist Frank Foster, flautist Frank Wess and bassist Art Davis.
Trane Whistle is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis' Big Band with arrangements by Oliver Nelson and Ernie Wilkins recorded in 1960 and released on the Prestige label.
The Jazz Harpist is the debut studio album by American jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby released in 1957 by the Regent label.
The Frank Wess Quartet is an album by jazz flautist Frank Wess which was recorded in 1960 and released on the Moodsville label.
Something Nice is an album by jazz vocalist Etta Jones which was recorded in late 1960 and early 1961 and released on the Prestige label.
So Warm is an album by jazz vocalist Etta Jones that was recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige label.
Hollar! is an album by jazz vocalist Etta Jones which was recorded at three separate sessions between 1960 and 1962 and released on the Prestige label in 1963.
Two's Company is an album by trumpeter/bandleader Maynard Ferguson and vocalist Chris Connor featuring tracks recorded in late 1960 and early 1961 which was originally released on the Roulette label.
Easy Living is an album by vocalist Etta Jones that was recorded in 2000 and released on the HighNote label.
Etta Jones Sings Lady Day is the final studio album by vocalist Etta Jones, featuring songs associated with Billie Holiday, which was recorded in 2001 and released on the HighNote label.
Etta Jones Sings is an album by jazz vocalist Etta Jones which was recorded in 1965 and released on the Roulette label.
Lem Winchester with Feeling is an album by vibraphonist Lem Winchester which was recorded in 1960 and released on the Moodsville label the following year.
