The second album from vocalist Merry Clayton features a crack session band including Billy Preston and Joe Sample on keys, playing stripped-back, piano-led R’n’B, soul and funk. The album features a strong selection of songs with plenty of bluesy numbers for Clayton to show off her remarkable voice, some deep tear-jerkers and a handful of uptempo tracks including a superb take on Bill Withers’ ‘Grandma’s Hands’ and the gospel-flecked funk of album finisher ‘Whatever’. Overall, ‘Merry Clayton’ has got funk, top-level playing and could be Merry Clayton’s career-best. 

– Harold Heath