The 2004 Verve release
Queen: The Music of Dinah Washington was compiled by Nadine Cohodas to coincide with her biography of the troubled singer. For a performer with such a large discography, these 12 tracks don't even begin to scratch the surface, but it gives a good idea of the eclectic nature of her material waxed between 1946 and 1961 for the Mercury label. These cuts equally sample
Dinah's embrace of R&B, traditional blues, sappy string sections, and Broadway tunes, while swinging with cozy small combos or fronting large orchestras led by
Hal Mooney,
Teddy Stewart, Tab Smith, and
Quincy Jones and featuring a plethora of high profile soloists. For novices or casual fans, the disc isn't a bad way to become acquainted with her Mercury recordings; however, it contains nothing for aficionados. ~ Al Campbell