Cast Your Fate to the Wind (1966) would be the third and final platter that
Shelby Flint (vocals) would record during the 1960s. It also marked somewhat of a departure from the style of her previous two LPs, Shelby Flint (1961) and
Shelby Flint Sings Folk (1963). After a three-year hiatus, during which the artist only issued a few one-off singles, she returned with a collection of originals and cover versions. Of particular note is the jazz-flavored title tune, which
Flint sent all the way up to a respectable number 60 on the singles chart. The opening "Green Leaves of Summer" -- originally from the motion picture score of The Alamo (1960) -- harks back to
Flint's folk-infused adult contemporary roots. She has also gained a mature presence in her delivery, especially evident on the originals "Moonlight" and "The Lilly." The latter stands out as not only an affective tune on this disc, but also one of the best of her brief career. Beneath the noir backdrop,
Flint's intonations are nothing short of aural honey, similar to that of
Dusty Springfield circa "See All Her Faces." Somewhat schizophrenically, the reading of
Paul McCartney's "Yesterday" commences with a Baroque harpsichord flourish, before dissolving into a midtempo jazz number that could have easily been rendered by the likes of
Sarah Vaughan. While "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" is an obvious highlight,
Flint's take on "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face," from Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady (1956), is another of the zeniths in terms of intimacy and emotion. While seemingly infinite reworkings of this show tune standard are available, few can equal the refined and scintillating sentiment found here. In 2002, this collection was issued alongside
Flint's aforementioned Valiant Records releases Shelby Flint and
Shelby Flint Sings Folk on the double-CD set 3 Albums from Shelby Flint: Shelby Flint Sings Folk/Shelby Flint/Cast Your Fate to the Wind. ~ Lindsay Planer