LA Phil Store

After spending a few years in limbo after scoring her first R&B hits “Dance With Me, Henry” and “Good Rocking Daddy,” Etta James returned to the spotlight in 1961 with her first Chess release, At Last. James made both the R&B and pop charts with the album’s title cut, “All I Could Do Was Cry,” and “Trust in Me.” What makes At Last a great album is not only the solid hits it contains, but also the strong variety of material throughout. James expertly handles jazz standards like “Stormy Weather” and “A Sunday Kind of Love,” as well as Willie Dixon’s blues classic “I Just Want to Make Love to You.” James demonstrates her keen facility on the title track in particular, as she easily moves from powerful blues shouting to more subtle, airy phrasing; her Ruth Brown-inspired, bad-girl growl only adds to the intensity. This limited 180 gram colored vinyl LP pressing includes six bonus tracks.