Carmen Bradford - Finally Yours (1992)

Originally issued in 1992 on the Amazing label and then reissued five years later under the larger Evidence cover, this is Austin, TX, native Carmen Bradford's first album under her own name. Endowed with a powerful, expressive, wide-ranged voice, Bradford seasons her jazz vocalizing with soul and blues as she delivers on a play list of familiar and not so familiar material embossed with a variety of tempi. There's "Destiny," done with a Latin rhythm at an up-tempo pace and featuring the guitar of Charlton Johnson (who also composed the tune). She dips into the Lionel Hampton songbook for one of his hardly ever heard tunes, "Chicago Hello," showing off her swinging aptitude, this time with Bill Easley and Steve Greenfield sharing the solo spotlight on tenor, making it one of the more engaging tracks on the CD. Memories of Motown are recalled with Ray Charles' "I Believe to My Soul," done with Aretha Franklin in mind. Bradford shows she is at home with pure romantic ballads on a very heartfelt "The Right to Love," with James Polk carrying the bulk of the accompanist load. In fact, "heartfelt" may be the one best word that characterizes what is going on at this session. Bradford throws everything she has into each tune, leaving no emotion untouched. Even the Ella Fitzgerald classic "Rough Ridin'" gets a demonstrative reading, as the band offers a couple of quotes from the familiar racetrack call to colors. Backed by topflight jazz personages, who she uses very effectively, this is a more than credible first outing and a solid harbinger of good things to come by Bradford.