Excellent late 1950s compilation, released just as "The Queen" started to seriously branch in completely different waters, this LP served to remind listeners that before Washington dived in the sea of strings and echoing backing choruses, she was the sassiest, brashest and cheekiest of all gals around. No wonder she was called "queen of jukebox" because hit followed the hit and what you find here is really cream of her earliest work - how strange that her later international pop success eclipsed what is in reality by far her best period.
Collected here are her singles from 1940s and early 1950s before she turned to LP albums filled with American Songbook and such - nothing bad about those albums, but in my opinion her heart and personality is perfectly described here. Washington, of course could do absolutely everything - torch songs, ballads, country, pop, Bessie Smith blues, you name it, she would put her stamp on it. Initially I was so blinded with her later music that these earliest singles didn't register with me, but than something interesting happened - with time I realised that syrupy ballads can't hold the candle to fierce "Evil Gal Blues", "Baby, Get Lost" or "Salty Papa Blues" - now this is THE album I listen the most when it comes to Dinah Washington. And of course, "Long John Blues" is a dirty joy to behold, something that young Aretha Franklin never dared to cover on her tribute to Washington.
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