(Vocal Jazz, Contemporary Gospel, Soul) Oleta Adams - The Very Best of Oleta Adams - 1996, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

by William Cooper
Being the daughter of a minister, it's no surprise that Oleta Adams' roots are in gospel, as she often performed in her father's church. But her formal introduction to the masses began rather unexpectedly. While performing in a Kansas City hotel, Oleta Adams was discovered by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears, and she was invited to participate in the recording of the British band's follow-up to the immensely popular 1985 album Songs From the Big Chair. When Tears for Fears unleashed the long-awaited The Seeds of Love in 1989, listeners were taken aback by the soulful female voice that was prominently featured on the album. Her vocal contributions to The Seeds of Love helped it generate generally positive reviews. In 1990, Tears for Fears' Roland Orzabal and Seeds of Love producer Dave Bascombe produced Oleta Adams' debut release, Circle of One. One of the album's standout tracks was a stunningly performed rendition of "Get Here," written and originally performed by Brenda Russell. Whereas Russell's version was a bit on the cutesy side, Adams virtually reinvented the song as an aching, gospel-tinged ballad. "Get Here" soared into the Top Ten, and the single's success helped Circle of One achieve gold status.
When Oleta Adams' second album, Evolution, was released in 1993, she inched closer toward the adult contemporary ballad schlock that has plagued such gifted vocalists as Anita Baker. Despite ample production from Stewart Levine (Patti LaBelle, Simply Red) and Oleta Adams' vocal prowess, generally weak material marred the album, though it included a stirring version of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind." Released in 1995, Movin' On attempted a more R&B approach, but too much outside input made it a disjointed affair. The album boasted credits from producers, including Vassal Benford (Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton), Michael J. Powell (Anita Baker, James Ingram), and Alan Rich and Jud J. Friedman (Whitney Houston), but again the songs were weak, and the slick production undermined the raw intensity of Adams' always glorious vocals. The religious album Come Walk with Me followed in 1995, and she returned to R&B with 2001's All the Love. I Can't Live a Day Without You appeared from Wave Records in 2004, followed five years later by Let's Stay Here on Koch Records.

by William Cooper
The Very Best of Oleta Adams primarily consists of material from her first three albums. The big mystery of this 1998 collection is the lack of material from 1990's Circle of One, by far her strongest and more musically varied set of songs. A mere three tunes are included here: "Get Here," the Soul II Soul-styled "Rhythm of Life," and the rousing "Circle of One." Her weaker second album, Evolution, however, is represented by no less than five tracks, and four songs from Moving On also appear. The Very Best of Oleta Adams also includes material that was never previously available on an Oleta Adams album. Tears for Fears' Seeds of Love hit "Woman in Chains" is here, and Adams' pitch-perfect vocal harmonies play off Roland Orzabal's melodramatic bombast surprisingly well. Though a more subtle arrangement may have been more successful, her rendition of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (which appeared on the Elton John/Bernie Taupin covers album Two Rooms in 1991) is performed with such gusto Elton John's version pales by comparison. Adams also shows off her astonishing range on the Gershwin classic "Embraceable You" and a nice reading of Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross." Although The Very Best of Oleta Adams lacks two of her best performances -- Circle of One's gorgeous version of "Everything Must Change" (which has been recorded by countless artists, including Gene Harris, Nina Simone, Carmen McRae, and Barbra Streisand) and the aforementioned "New York State of Mind" -- it is a pleasant collection that showcases Oleta Adams' beautiful voice, even on lackluster material.

Oleta Adams (vocals, piano, keyboards, Hammond B-3 organ, synthesizer); Michael J. Powell, Donnie Lyle, Ray Fuller, Michael Landau, Roland Orzabal, Vernon "Ice" Black, Stef Burns (guitar); Tom Scott (tenor saxophone); William Gregory (baritone saxophone); Chuck Findley (flugelhorn); Frank Martin (piano, electric piano); Vernon Fails (electric piano); Michael J. Powell (keyboards, percussion); Vasssal Benford, Dave Bascombe, Mike Mani, Aaron Zigman (keyboards); Simon Clark, Joel Brooks, Neil Larson (Hammond B-3 organ); Roland Orzabal (synthesizer); Al Turner, Pino Palladino, Tommy Brown, Freddie Washington, Larry Kimpel (bass); John Cushon, Mario Winans, Narada Michael Walden, Richie Stevens (drums); Irene Cara (background vocals).