Etta James

Gabriel Mekler (of Steppenwolf, Kozmic Janis, Nolan Porter) introduces Etta to the rock audience with three Randy Newman covers plus, and it almost works. To hear this gospel-trained ex-junkie turn "God's Song" into a jubilantly sarcastic antihymn is to know why pious blacks consider blues devil music, and Tracy Nelson fans should hear how low "Down So Low" can get. James is full-bodied, bitter, hip without sounding educated about it. But she has trouble finding a female persona for "Sail Away" and "Leave Your Hat On." And she has trouble making anything at all out of Mekler's own stuff. (Grade - B)