Singer
Etta Jones often recalls late-period
Billie Holiday and
Dinah Washington on her CD reissue of
Lonely and Blue. The first 11 songs find her accompanied by tenor-saxophonist
Budd Johnson on four of the songs, guitarist
Wally Richardson on seven, and the
Patti Bown Trio throughout; the final three numbers (bonus tracks), are actually from a date led by tenor great
Gene Ammons and are among the highlights of this set. But overall, despite some fine performances (particularly "You Don't Know My Mind" and "Trav'lin Light"),
Jones' lack of individuality at that point in time makes this CD of less importance than her later sets for Muse. ~ Scott Yanow