Gloria Lynne: This One’s On Me

Gloria Lynne is one of those singers cut from the same stylistic cloth as Dinah Washington: as capable of swinging a hard blues or a Tin Pan Alley standard as she is of going the rhythm and blues route. Though noted largely throughout her career for her swinging lilt and balladry exploits, that fact of her versatility was driven home by her receipt of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award in ’97 on the strength of her bonafide hitmaking.

Though the recording industry hasn’t been too forthcoming to this distinctively voiced woman over the last 20 years, HighNote (formerly Muse) is striving laudably to close that gap. Produced, arranged and conducted by MVP sideman guitarist Rodney Jones, this is a congenial date traversing 11 chestnuts and Ms. Lynne is in solid and winning voice throughout-look no further than an all-too-short “Wild Is Love,” or her reading of “Angel Eyes.” As they say, the honey fairly drips.

Originally Published December 1, 1998