Gloria Scotts studio recordings were limited to a handful of singles dating back to 1964 -- the year she debuted with a 7" produced by Sly Stone -- and a 1974 album for Casablanca. The LP, made with Barry White, could have received a better push, but a couple of its singles charted, and those and other cuts proved to have staying power, particularly with die-hard European soul fans. Since 2008, Scott has been a fixture at the annual Baltic Soul Weekender festival, regularly billed alongside DJ Eddie Piller, whose Acid Jazz label -- home to many bands who have held Whites orchestral soul in high regard -- is an apt outlet for her second album. So Wonderful has the look and sound of a sequel to What Am I Gonna Do. Its produced by Andrew McGuinness, a seasoned drummer evidently well-versed in elegant mid-70s R&B that favors driving rhythms, grand (not ostentatious) strings, silky guitars, and a tasteful mix of acoustic and electric piano and organ. At least three compositions originate from the period: the rolling opener "All of the Time, Youre on My Mind," newfound love song "Ive Got to Have All of You," and the love-struck "Theres No Cure for Me." (The latter two are possibly the only recorded songs written by Barry White, Gene Page, and fellow giant H.B. Barnum as a trio.) An advantage this set has over the 1974 LP is Scotts own songwriting, a seamless change that naturally gives the album a more personalized touch. The celebratory title song has been knocking around in multiple iterations but is revitalized here. "Show Me," co-written by P.P. Arnold, could be mistaken for a Gladys Knight & the Pips deep cut. "Come Back Baby," a regretful ballad stripped down to just piano and vocal, stuns at the point where Scott confesses "Im goin under." Just as fitting is a galvanizing cover of Joe Smooths 1987 house classic "Promised Land," the albums finale. The luminescent quality of Scotts voice remains, and the grit gained over the decades doesnt conceal its inherent sweetness. ~ Andy Kellman

Rovi