ARETHA WITH THE RAY BRYANT COMBO

Description

"Aretha" is the first studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released on February 27, 1961. It features the Ray Bryant Combo and showcases an 18-year-old Franklin, covering a range of pop standards. Following in the footsteps of her close friend Sam Cooke, Aretha was "discovered" by the famous Columbia Records producer, John H. Hammond, who, in the liner notes of the 1973 edition of "The Great Aretha Franklin: The First 12 Sides," mentions that she was actually recommended by the songwriter Curtis Reginald Lewis. With the support of her father, Reverend CL Franklin, Aretha went to Columbia Record Studios in New York to record her first album for the label. Hammond paired Aretha Franklin with Ray Bryant and arranger J. Leslie McFarland, while taking charge of the album's production.