Lavern Baker - La Vern + Rock & Roll (Bonus Track Version) (2011)

Tracklist

01. Lots and Lots of Love
02. Of Course I Do
03. You'll Be Crying
04. Miracles
05. I'm in a Crying Mood
06. Mine All Mine
07. Harbor Lights
08. I'll Never Be Free
09. Romance in the Dark
10. Everybody's Somebody's Fool
11. How Long Will It Be?
12. Fool That I Am
13. Jim Dandy
14. Tra La La
15. I Can't Love You Enough
16. Get up, Get Up (You Sleepy Head)
17. That's All I Need
18. Bop-Ting-a-Ling
19. Tweedlee Dee
20. Still
21. Play It Fair
22. Tomorrow Night
23. That Lucky Old Sun
24. Soul on Fire
25. My Hapiness Forever
26. How Can You Leave a Man Like This?
27. Bumble Bee (Bonus Track)
28. St. Louis Blues (Bonus Track)
29. Substitute (Bonus Track)
30. Dix-a-Billy (Bonus Track)



LaVern Baker was one of the most important female vocalists of any time or genre. Her musical styles ranged between ground-breaking rock & roll, cheerful R&B, early soul, jump blues and vocal-jazz. Whatever the style, Baker’s sound was unique – a soulful combination of unbridled lungpower and sophisticated phrasing. With the possible exception of Ruth Brown and The Chantels’ Arlene Smith, Baker had no equal until the arrival of Aretha Franklin. This collector’s edition compiles two of her complete albums for Atlantic: La Vern (1956) and LaVern Baker – Rock & Roll (1957). Both LPs contain the cream of the crop from Baker’s hitmaking stretch for the Atlantic label during her early years. In addition, we have included 4 bonus tracks consisting of hard to find sides from the same period. These splendid recordings feature a virtual who’s who of great sidemen, including King Curtis, Milt Hinton, Hank Jones, Taft Jordan, Sam “The Man” Taylor, Urbie Green, Al Caiola and Joe Marshall, among others.

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