Gigi & the Charmaines

The back-cover blurb to this disc describes Gigi & the Charmaines as "Cincinnati's top 1960s girl group," which sounds like the very definition of a dubious distinction, but this thorough overview of the R&B trio's recorded output from 1960 to 1967 shows they had the stuff to compete on a bigger field if they'd had a bit more luck. Gigi Griffin (aka Marian Jackson), the group's lead singer, was able to meld passion with vocal precision in a manner that suggests a more sophisticated Diana Ross, and her partners Dee Watkins and Irene Vinegar brought some superb harmonies and backing vocals to their sessions. Add some memorable production smarts (from Norman Lewis and, of all people, Bobby Bare) and quality material (including "G.I. Joe," "Poor Unfortunate Me," "On the Wagon," and an offbeat cover of "Brazil"), and you have one of the better soul vocal acts of the era. This set not only collects Gigi & the Charmaines' best near-hits but rare sides in which they performed backing vocals for the likes of Lonnie Mack, Kenny Smith, and Carl Edmondson (though sadly none of the material where they sang behind James Brown made the cut). Northern soul obsessives and folks interested in unsung soul queens of the '60s will eat this up, and more casual R&B enthusiasts will find Gigi & the Charmaines fun listening as well. ~ Mark Deming