Aretha Franklin--jazz singer?

[Milestones]

I am really feeling my ignorance--in that I don't know nearly enough about the great Aretha Franklin.  I owned only one of her albums (a good one) and otherwise knew her by the hits.  Clearly a great a singer, but now I have to think one of the greatest EVER and I'm realizing howe diverse she was.  On some of her albums you find  players like Frank Wess, Bernie Glow, Snooky Young, Grady Tate, and many more.  Kenny Burrell is a major presence on the jazzy small group records Yeah.  So jazz was part of who she was, along with gospel, soul, blues, pop, and much more.  It seems like she's always committed and highly expressive.  

Why the hell have I slept on Aretha Franklin?

 

[jazzbo]

She was an amazing singer. Period. You have a lot to catch up on but you got there. Awesome!

I have the complete Columbia set that unfortunately is way out of print. In important ways my favorite Aretha.

[mjzee]

The night Aretha Franklin turned to opera and saved the Grammy Awards

[John L]

Aretha was so gifted that she could sing the phone book, as they say.   But I think that her greatest artistic strength was in gospel and gospel-infused R&B (i.e. soul).  I can take or leave a lot of the rest of it, although most of it is certainly enjoyable.  

Yes, I consider Aretha Franklin to be one of the greatest singers ever recorded in any genre.    

[danasgoodstuff]

Aretha was to my mind beyond category as a singer and a far better songwriter than she gets credit for.

Good to Me as I Am to You

[clifford_thornton]

Agreed.

[adh1907]

I love her version of this Stevie Wonder tune. I was initially thinking the way she approaches the lyrics, not a straight reading at all, was jazzy but I agree with one of the previous posters, it’s more gospel.