Aretha Franklin – Unforgettable. A Tribute to Dinah Washington

The myth that Columbia Records producers kept Aretha Franklin from finding her soul on disc has largely been discredited, and albums such as the 1964 Unforgettable are a big reason why. Working with a small, surprisingly tough rhythm section, Franklin delivers highly personalized renditions of 10 songs associated with the great Dinah Washington, who’d passed just months before. The material ranges from pop standards to Hank Williams and Bessie Smith numbers, paralleling Franklin’s own eclecticism.

This is Aretha Franklin’s 1964 tribute to one of her heroes, the great Dinah Washington, who died in late 1963. Franklin delivers her highly personalized takes on songs made famous by Washington, backed by the cream of New York’s finest session musicians.

ID: Speakers Corner Records – CS 8963, Columbia – CS 8963