Aretha

by Aretha Franklin & The Ray Bryant Combo

Aretha cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 27 February 1961
  • Label: Columbia
  • Country: United States
  • Community rating: 3.5/5 from 4 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

'Aretha' served as Aretha Franklin's debut full-length release for Columbia Records, produced by John Hammond. Backed by the Ray Bryant Combo, the album situated her powerful gospel-trained vocals within a polished framework of jazz standards and rhythm and blues covers.

Genres

Descriptors: Ballad, soulful, vocal, ballad, piano, harmonies

Tracklist

  1. Won't Be Long (3:12)
  2. Over the Rainbow (2:41)
  3. Love Is the Only Thing (2:43)
  4. Sweet Lover (3:25)
  5. All Night Long (3:00)
  6. Who Needs You? (2:49)
  7. Right Now (2:26)
  8. Are You Sure (2:44)
  9. Maybe I'm a Fool (3:20)
  10. It Ain't Necessarily So (2:56)
  11. By Myself (2:41)
  12. Today I Sing the Blues (2:46)

Credits

  • Aretha Franklin - primary artist, piano
  • The Ray Bryant Combo - primary artist
  • Curtis Lewis - arranged by, written-by
  • J. Leslie McFarland - arranged by, written-by
  • Bill Lee - bass
  • Milt Hinton - bass
  • Belton Evans - drums
  • Osie Johnson - drums
  • Sticks Evans - drums
  • Chauncey Westbrook - guitar
  • Skeeter Best - guitar
  • Frank Driggs - liner notes
  • Ray Bryant - piano
  • Al Sears - saxophone [tenor]
  • Warren Luckey - saxophone [tenor]
  • Quentin Jackson - trombone
  • Tyree Glenn - trombone
  • E.Y. Harburg - written-by
  • Harold Arlen - written-by
  • Sidney J. Wyche - written-by
  • Billie Holiday - written-by
  • Jeanne Burns - written-by
  • Meredith Willson - written-by
  • George & Ira Gershwin - written-by
  • Joe Bailey - written-by

More from Aretha Franklin & The Ray Bryant Combo: full discography