Etta James
The Heart of a Woman
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AMG Review of The Heart of a Woman
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music GuideHeart of a Woman is a great idea for an album. Etta James chose 11 love songs from her favorite female singers -- Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, and Carmen McRae -- augmenting the album with a new version of her signature song, "At Last." She has recorded several of these songs before (including Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed," which inexplicably became a standard for both her and McRae), but the difference with Heart of a Woman is the context. Here, they're put in a smooth jazz setting, masterminded by James, who has producer credit. There's no denying that Etta James is a powerhouse, one of the finest lues singers of the 20th century, and she still possesses an exceptionally strong voice, robust and filled with passion.
 "The Heart of a Woman")
