Ruth Brown

This collection pulls together three of her rare ‘70s albums, the first disc offering the entirety of Brown’s 1976 album Sugar Babe. As funky and contemporary a soul-oriented set as Ruth ever cut, its tight backing tracks were laid down in Muscle Shoals, producer Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams. Disc two combines material from two more Brown albums from the same era, both done at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood. 1978’s You Don’t Know Me showcasing Ruth in an intimate after-hours trio setting led by pianist Lou Levy and the following year’s Touch Me in the Morning subtly expanded her combo, producer Herb Jeffries escorting Ruth into more contemporary directions.