Esther Phillips, Part Two

IN LATE 1965, came the American release of her second Atlantic album, simply called Esther, with arrangements by veterans Oliver Nelson and Ray Ellis as well as up and coming Jimmy Wisner, the album was in a more jazz 'bag' than the previous set. It did, however, contain remarkable readings of the Rolling Stones' 'As Tears Go By' (which I still think should have been a single — especially in view of her earlier success with the Beatles' song) and the standards, 'I Could Have Told You' (her last single on UK Black Atlantic), 'The Masquerade Is Over' and 'Crazy He Calls Me' amongst others.