Ruth Brown - Blues & Rhythm Series 5181: The Chronological Ruth Brown 1954-1956 (2007)

They didn't call Atlantic Records "The House That Ruth Built" for nothing -- Ruth Brown was one of the first major stars at America's greatest rhythm and blues label, and she produced some of the strongest and sauciest R&B sides of the 1950s. Brown was well into her peak hitmaking period when the material on this collection was cut -- of the 23 tunes included on this disc, which represents all the material she recorded for Atlantic between 1954 and 1956, nine made it into the Top Ten of Billboard's rhythm and blues charts, a very impressive batting average indeed. This set includes B-sides and material that got lost in the shuffle along with the hits, so while there's plenty of great music here, there are a few numbers not up to Brown's usual standards, such as the overly sentimental "Mom Oh Mom" and "When I Get You Baby," which is nearly sunk by a busy and overblown arrangement. But the bulk of the material rocks cool and steady, and Brown's superb way with a vocal never fails to impress. The majority of the songs on this disc sound terrific, though the sound quality of a few is not as good, with some possibly rescued from vinyl. Despite its minor flaws, this set -- like its two predecessors, which collect Brown's recordings from 1949 to 1950 and 1951 to 1953 -- is a boon to hardcore Ruth Brown fans, and amply demonstrates how consistently good she was during her heyday. ~Mark Deming