Although the liner notes treat
Thanks to You
as if it is a new recording, the music was actually recorded in 1990 and not released for the first time until 14 years later. No matter --
Irene Reid
is heard throughout in excellent form. Her style of singing is similar to
Ernestine Anderson
's in that it blurs the line between
jazz
,
R&B
soul
, and
blues
. She performs a wide-ranging repertoire that includes joyful renditions of
"Our Day Will Come"
and
"Thanks to You,"
the regretful
"I Wish I'd Never Loved at All,"
some wistful moments, and a version of
"This Bitter Earth"
that becomes a tribute to
Dinah Washington
, with quotes from some other songs associated with
Washington
. This set serves as a perfect introduction to the very underrated
. ~ Scott Yanow