Gloria Scott
's studio recordings were limited to a handful of singles dating back to 1964 -- the year she debuted with a 7" produced by
Sly Stone
-- and a 1974 album for
Casablanca
. The LP, made with
Barry White
, could have received a better push, but a couple of its singles charted, and those and other cuts proved to have staying power, particularly with die-hard European soul fans. Since 2008,
Scott
has been a fixture at the annual Baltic Soul Weekender festival, regularly billed alongside DJ
Eddie Piller
, whose
Acid Jazz
label -- home to many bands who have held
White
's orchestral soul in high regard -- is an apt outlet for her second album.
So Wonderful
has the look and sound of a sequel to
What Am I Gonna Do
. It's produced by
Andrew McGuinness
, a seasoned drummer evidently well-versed in elegant mid-'70s R&B that favors driving rhythms, grand (not ostentatious) strings, silky guitars, and a tasteful mix of acoustic and electric piano and organ. At least three compositions originate from the period: the rolling opener "All of the Time, You're on My Mind," newfound love song "I've Got to Have All of You," and the love-struck "There's No Cure for Me." (The latter two are possibly the only recorded songs written by
,
Gene Page
, and fellow giant
H.B. Barnum
as a trio.) An advantage this set has over the 1974 LP is
's own songwriting, a seamless change that naturally gives the album a more personalized touch. The celebratory title song has been knocking around in multiple iterations but is revitalized here. "Show Me," co-written by
P.P. Arnold
, could be mistaken for a
Gladys Knight & the Pips
deep cut. "Come Back Baby," a regretful ballad stripped down to just piano and vocal, stuns at the point where
confesses "I'm goin' under." Just as fitting is a galvanizing cover of
Joe Smooth
's 1987 house classic "Promised Land," the album's finale. The luminescent quality of
's voice remains, and the grit gained over the decades doesn't conceal its inherent sweetness. ~ Andy Kellman