Ruth Brown was a sassy dame and one of the earliest pioneers in taking the blues idiom uptown. Her many great sides for Atlantic earned the label the title "The House that Ruth Built" (and I remind you, Ray Charles worked there, too). Her many hits include "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean," "Wild Wild Young Men" (later covered to great effect by Wanda Jackson), "Lucky Lips" and "5-10-15 Hours." She carried a vim and vigor in her voice that helped set the mold for Aretha Franklin.

Rhino/Atlantic has released two great places to start, the two-disc Miss Rhythm (Greatest Hits And More) and the single disc Rockin' In Rhythm: The Best Of Ruth Brown. Her later sides for Fantasy and recent work for Bullseye are fine, too, but her early work is essential. (If you purchase Miss Rhythm, make sure you get the one on Atlantic, not the identically named disc on Collectables.)