George G. M. James

Part of a series released by Germany's Carus label to mark the 250th anniversary of Handel's death in 1759, this album offers an attractive program pairing two of the composer's early Latin-language Roman motets with two popular English anthems from the 1720s. The Nisi Dominus, HWV 238, and Laudate pueri, HWV 237, bear traces of the Italian polychoral style and allow for various deployments of chorus and soloists, nicely exploited here to display the talents of a sextet of top-notch singers. The vocal group Gli Scarlattisti is not Italian but German, and in place of the muscular, operatic renditions of Baroque choral music coming out of Italy is a very smooth sound from this 15-member choir.

As the title suggests, this is the definitive edition of Etta James' Tell Mama long-player. For this single-disc release the original album is augmented with five previously unissued tracks – documented during James' four Muscle Shoals sessions circa '67-'68. The question of why a rural Alabama town became a conduit for some of the most memorable and instantly identifiable grooves may still be up for debate. The evidence exists in droves and Tell Mama could certainly be considered exhibit A. These sessions feature the same impact that would redirect several first ladies of soul. Notable among them are Dusty Springfield's Dusty in Memphis, Aretha Franklin's I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) and to somewhat lesser acclaim, Jackie DeShannon's Jackie. Tell Mama showcases some of the unique and admittedly darker qualities of what might best be described as R&B noir. "I'd Rather Go Blind," "Steal Away," "I'm Gonna Take What He's Got" all exemplify the essence of the blues – making the best of a bad situation.