Minnie Riperton: Her Chess Years (1964-1971)

Because of the broad range of material on this comp, it serves not only as a representation of Minnie Riperton's early vocal work, but also as a time capsule of ‘60s popular music; in other words, this is not just for die-hard Minnie Riperton fans. The set starts off with Minnie singing lead as a member of the Gems. It follows with ‘Lonely Girl,’ which Minnie recorded under the pseudonym Andrea Davis. It was her first single as a solo artist and was a local Chicago-area hit featuring Minnie's signature stratospheric operatic vocals. That is followed by another Gems recording. The Gems are in the classic tradition of early ‘60s girl groups such as the Ronettes, the Shirelles, and the Marvelettes. The remaining tracks on the album feature Minnie as a member of Rotary Connection. All of their songs were produced and arranged by Charles Stepney, perhaps best known for his association with Earth, Wind & Fire. Although categorized as a rock band, Rotary Connection dabbled into many musical forms. Their fine covers of ‘Tales of Brave Ulysses’ (Cream) and ‘The Burning of the Midnight Lamp’ (Jimi Hendrix) would certainly be categorized as rock, but they were also quite at home with other forms of music. Minnie and co-lead vocalist Sidney Barnes team up to do a very distinctive version of the R&B classic, ‘Respect.’ Also catch their call-and-response vocals on their rendition of T-Bone Walker's blues classic, ‘They Call It Stormy Monday.’ ‘Christmas Love’ and their version of the Christmas standard ‘Silent Night,’ will put you in the holiday spirit even in the middle of summer. When Minnie calls out, "Don't forget Chicago" toward the end of ‘Christmas Love,’ you can't help but be moved whether or not you're a native of the "Windy City." Also included here is ‘Want You to Know,’ their only song to make the Hot 100, which slowly builds to a rousing climax. ‘If I Sing My Song,’ closes the compilation and is in the vein of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, which demonstrates yet another side of Rotary Connection. Minnie Riperton fan or not, this set will surely take you on a musical adventure. http://www.amazon.com/

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