Nancy Wilson - This Mother's Daughter (2014 Japan Edition)

This Mother's Daughter remains the most soulful record cut by Nancy Wilson during her Capitol tenure -- producer Eugene McDaniels proves an inspired if surprising choice to helm the session, and his subtle but ingenious jazz-funk flourishes are essential to the project's immediacy and appeal. McDaniels couches Wilson in settings as smooth and rich as velvet, crafting a series of mellow, gently propulsive grooves that flirt with contemporary soul but pay heed to the singer's roots in jazz. Wilson responds with a performance that's sophisticated yet saucy, commanding the spotlight with an intensity that's missing from her lesser Capitol efforts.