
Helen Bryant
This would seem to be the only release by Helen Bryant but
"I've Learned My Lesson" is a first class piece of deep soul. Or is it an R & B ballad? Whatever pigeon hole you want to put it on Helen's vocal performance is absoutely wonderful - swooping and soaring all around the melody. Her big brassy tone is right out of the blues tradition but she is also full of gospel tricks and flourishes - the best combination of course. It's hardly worth mentioning the rhythm section so overpowering is the vocal but there are some nice baritone sax touches and a good girl chorus. Larry Lucie's and Joel Tunnero's understated production shouldn't be missed either.
But the honours go to Ms Bryant - does anybody know why she never had any more singles released?
UPDATE ~ My friend Greg Burgess the Great Researcher has written to say this about Helen - "Helen Bryant was part of prof Herman Stevens Stevens Singers a gospel group operating around New York-Philadelphia-New Jersey from the early 1950s to the early 1970s." I'm always grateful to Greg for his efforts for this website.
Thanks to Mike Finbow for the excellent suggestion.