Ann Peebles: This Is Ann Peebles (1969)

A diminutive singer with a powerful voice and an even stronger attitude, Ann Peebles was one of the artists who defined Willie Mitchell's legendary Memphis soul label Hi Records, along with Al Green and O.V. Wright. Easily the best female singer in the Hi stable, Peebles ranked among the finest deep Southern soul singers of the decade and her recordings, although not always appreciated on the charts as they often merited, hold up among the best of their era. She released her debut single ‘Walk Away’ in 1969, which shot to an impressive number 22 on the Billboard Top 100 R&B singles chart in April. Following a second single, ‘Give Me Some Credit,’ Hi issued Peebles' debut LP, This Is Ann Peebles. Unlike her subsequent albums, Peebles' first release did not contain any of her own original material, but featured great covers of Otis Redding's ‘Respect,’ Aretha Franklin's ‘Chain of Fools,’ and Fontella Bass's ‘Rescue Me,’ It also included the Club Rosewood song ‘Steal Away’ and the "Bowlegs" Miller composition ‘Won't You Try Me.’ I added five bonus tracks to the original release, 'Part Time Love', 'I'll Get Along', 'I Still Love You', 'Generation Gap' and 'I Can't Let You Go', 17 tracks in total. The greatest Peebles' albums were produced later, in a burst of collective creativity between 1972 and 1976, but this 1969 fantastic debut was a perfect first taste of what was to come. Ann Peebles has always been her own person, known as a real "singers' singer" and a "musicians' musician”. Perhaps this explains, at least in part, why she has had such an influence on real soul music since her big time in the early ‘70s. Needless to say, she is one of my favorite soul sisters. http://www.artistdirect.com, http://www.musicianguide.com/

Ann Peebles Live at The Montreux Jazz Festival with Paul Brown on Keyboards, Malcolm Cullen on Guitar, Curtis Steele on Drums and Randy Middleton on Bass: