Singer
Abbey Lincoln's second recording, and her first for Riverside, finds her accompanied by quite an all-star roster: tenor saxophonist
Sonny Rollins, trumpeter
Kenny Dorham, pianist
Wynton Kelly, bassist
Paul Chambers, and drummer
Max Roach. Even this early, she was already a major jazz singer with a style of her own.
Lincoln was careful from this point on to only interpret lyrics that she believed in. Her repertoire has a few superior standards (including several songs such as "I Must Have That Man!" and "Don't Explain" that are closely associated with
Billie Holiday) plus
Oscar Brown, Jr.'s "Strong Man" and
Phil Moore's "Tender as a Rose"; she takes the latter unaccompanied. "Don't Explain" is slightly unusual in that
Paul Chambers is absent and
Wynton Kelly makes an extremely rare appearance on bass. All three of
Abbey Lincoln's Riverside albums are well worth the listen. [Some reissues add alternate takes of "I Must Have That Man!" and "Porgy" to the original program.] ~ Scott Yanow