On 1988's , took her first step away from the home she had built with 's M-Base organization. She'd done standards before, all the way back to 1985's . There are no M-Base players on this set. She fronts a very conventional trio comprised of pianist , drummer , and bassist . The last of these is very significant because it would be who directed her very startling and focused transformation when she signed to in 1993 and released . The program is pure standard fare, from and to the title track and 's This cut is the most startling break from the rest in that it is much more forceful and hard-swinging than other readings, and showcases for the first time 's tremendous individuality as a vocalist. There is much of still in her style here, but on this cut, she's pure , even the scatting comes not from jazz but from the blues of 's Mississippi homeland. Another standout is which wasn't quite a standard at the time but is quickly becoming one covered by many singers and is delivered in the classic repertoire's lineage. Not a masterpiece, but a really compelling first experiment with the more intimate forms and smaller groups would employ later on. ~ Thom Jurek