Fine and Mellow (Ruth Brown album)

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Fine and Mellow
Fine and Mellow (Ruth Brown album).jpg
Studio album by
Ruth Brown
Released1991
Genre R&B, blues
Label Fantasy
Producer Ralph Jungheim
Ruth Brown chronology
Brown, Black & Beautiful
(1990)		Fine and Mellow
(1991)		The Songs of My Life
(1993)

Fine and Mellow is an album by the American musician Ruth Brown, released in 1991. [1] [2] After recuperating from leg surgery, Brown supported the album with several concert appearances. [3]

Contents

Production

Fine and Mellow is an album of Brown's favorite songs. [4] Produced by Ralph Jungheim, it was recorded with session bands in New York City and in Hollywood. [5] [6] The songs were arranged by Frank Owens. [7] Rodney Jones played guitar; Herman Riley contributed on saxophone. [8] [9] The title track was written by Billie Holiday. [10] "Salty Papa Blues" is a version of the song made famous by Dinah Washington. [11] "It's Just a Matter of Time" is a cover of the Brook Benton song. [7] "Knock Me a Kiss" is a cover of the song made famous by Louis Jordan. [12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
North County Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]

Newsday wrote that Brown's "brash style never adapts to songs synonymous with other singers, but adopts them as her own." [6] The Los Angeles Times said that the album "underlines her versatility and her ability to use an actor's touch to inject drama or humor into a song." [15] The Vancouver Sun deemed Fine and Mellow "the blues in all its raunchy glory." [9] The Chicago Tribune opined that "her singing has plenty of snarl and bite, and she shrewdly has surrounded herself with a terrific lineup of instrumentalists." [16]

Stereo Review considered it the best album of Brown's return to recording, likening it to "taking a stroll down memory lane and on into the kind of crowded, smoke-filled club where countless organ-and-vocal combos delighted weekend crowds." [7] The Philadelphia Inquirer called it "another big, brash affair that showcases Brown as earthmother/vamp, a singer who ... can deliver lyrics with a wink and a sneer." [10] The North County Times labeled it a "mini-history of Black American music." [13]

AllMusic called the album a "nice contemporary effort with a strongly swinging R&B flavor running throughout." [11]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Fine and Mellow" 
2."I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues" 
3."A World I Never Made" 
4."Salty Papa Blues" 
5."I'll Drown in My Own Tears" 
6."Knock Me a Kiss" 
7."It's Just a Matter of Time" 
8."Don't Get Around Much Anymore" 
9."Nothing Takes the Place of You" 
10."I'll Be Satisfied" 

References

  1. ↑ "Ruth Brown Biography by Bill Dahl". AllMusic. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  2. ↑ Jenkins Jr., Everett (2001). Pan-African Chronology III: A Comprehensive Reference to the Black Quest for Freedom in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia, 1914-1929. McFarland, Inc. p. 469.
  3. ↑ Hinckley, David (June 24, 1992). "Ruth's R&B for free". Daily News. New York. p. 39.
  4. ↑ Heim, Chris (December 6, 1991). "Ruth Brown returned with a new set...". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. P.
  5. ↑ "Album Reviews — Fine and Mellow by Ruth Brown". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 4. January 25, 1992. p. 53.
  6. 1 2 Anderson, John (January 5, 1992). "A Pair of Bluesy Tributes". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 19.
  7. 1 2 3 "Fine and Mellow by Ruth Brown". Stereo Review. Vol. 57, no. 7. July 1992. p. 67.
  8. 1 2 Hadley, Frank-John (1993). The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD. Grove Press. p. 31.
  9. 1 2 Rutter, Frank (March 21, 1992). "Ruth Brown Fine and Mellow". The Vancouver Sun. p. D23.
  10. 1 2 3 Stark, Karl (January 30, 1992). "Ruth Brown Fine and Mellow". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C8.
  11. 1 2 3 "Fine and Mellow Review by Bill Dahl". AllMusic. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  12. ↑ Wald, Elijah (March 12, 1992). "Ruth Brown Fine and Mellow". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 6.
  13. 1 2 Gallo, Mark (February 7, 1992). "Ruth Brown gets 'Fine and Mellow' with rhythm and blues". North County Times. p. 13B.
  14. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 44.
  15. ↑ Boehm, Mike (December 26, 1991). "The Big 3 Together". OC Live. Los Angeles Times. p. 6.
  16. ↑ Reich, Howard (May 17, 1992). "Recordings". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 29.
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