Fine and Mellow | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1991 | |||
Genre | R&B, blues | |||
Label | Fantasy | |||
Producer | Ralph Jungheim | |||
Ruth Brown chronology | ||||
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Fine and Mellow is an album by the American musician Ruth Brown, released in 1991.[1][2] After recuperating from leg surgery, Brown supported the album with several concert appearances.[3]
Fine and Mellow is an album of Brown's favorite songs.[4] Produced by Ralph Jungheim, it was recorded with session bands in New York City and in Hollywood.[5][6] The songs were arranged by Frank Owens.[7] Rodney Jones played guitar; Herman Riley contributed on saxophone.[8][9] The title track was written by Billie Holiday.[10] "Salty Papa Blues" is a version of the song made famous by Dinah Washington.[11] "It's Just a Matter of Time" is a cover of the Brook Benton song.[7] "Knock Me a Kiss" is a cover of the song made famous by Louis Jordan.[12]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
North County Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Philadelphia Inquirer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Newsday wrote that Brown's "brash style never adapts to songs synonymous with other singers, but adopts them as her own."[6] The Los Angeles Times said that the album "underlines her versatility and her ability to use an actor's touch to inject drama or humor into a song."[15] The Vancouver Sun deemed Fine and Mellow "the blues in all its raunchy glory."[9] The Chicago Tribune opined that "her singing has plenty of snarl and bite, and she shrewdly has surrounded herself with a terrific lineup of instrumentalists."[16]
Stereo Review considered it the best album of Brown's return to recording, likening it to "taking a stroll down memory lane and on into the kind of crowded, smoke-filled club where countless organ-and-vocal combos delighted weekend crowds."[7] The Philadelphia Inquirer called it "another big, brash affair that showcases Brown as earthmother/vamp, a singer who ... can deliver lyrics with a wink and a sneer."[10] The North County Times labeled it a "mini-history of Black American music."[13]
AllMusic called the album a "nice contemporary effort with a strongly swinging R&B flavor running throughout."[11]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Fine and Mellow" | |
2. | "I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues" | |
3. | "A World I Never Made" | |
4. | "Salty Papa Blues" | |
5. | "I'll Drown in My Own Tears" | |
6. | "Knock Me a Kiss" | |
7. | "It's Just a Matter of Time" | |
8. | "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" | |
9. | "Nothing Takes the Place of You" | |
10. | "I'll Be Satisfied" |