by John BushErnie Andrews' first record for the Dot label is a fine piece of jazz-blues in the vein of Joe Williams or Jimmy Rushing, and it's a puzzle why he wasn't accorded respect to match his obvious talent. He possessed a higher register than Al Hibbler or Johnny Hartman but still featured their rich tone, and was closest to Billy Eckstine but, on this album, sang much more expressively than Eckstine. Recording with a band led by Ernie Freeman or an organ trio headed by Tyrone Parsons, Andrews swings the blues in a manner that leans as much toward soul as vocal jazz. The opener "Why" could have appeared on a James Brown LP of the era without too much of a stretch; the standards "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" and "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" are taken at a suitably relaxed pace, and Andrews stretches out on the Bird tribute "Parker's Mood."