Heart of a Woman (Etta James album)
| Heart of a Woman | ||||
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| Studio album by Etta James | ||||
| Released | June 29, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | March 15–23, 1999 | |||
| Genre | Blues, jazz fusion | |||
| Length | 66:14 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Etta James John Snyder Lupe DeLeon (executive) |
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| Etta James chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |
  
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| Robert Christgau |  |
| Jazz Review | (positive) |
| PopMatters |   |
| Rolling Stone | |
Heart of a Woman is an album by Etta James, released in June 1999 through RCA Records. The album consists of eleven love songs from James' favorite female singers, as well as a recording of her most popular song "At Last". Recorded in March 1999, Heart of a Woman was produced by James and John Snyder, with Lupe DeLeon serving as executive producer. James' two sons Donto and Sametto served as assistant producers, among other contributions; guest musicians appearing on the album include Mike Finnigan on organ, Red Holloway and Jimmy Zavala on tenor saxophone, and Lee Thornburg on multiple instruments. Following its release, critical reception of Heart of a Woman was mixed. The album reached a peak position of number four on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart.
Heart of a Woman was released during a period of James' career in which she parted from singing blues to experiment with country, jazz, and pop music, with mixed reception.Rolling Stone grouped the album in a "trifecta" with James' previous (not counting the 1998 holiday album 12 Songs of Christmas), and following studio albums, Life, Love & the Blues (1998) and Matriarch of the Blues (2000).
Categorized by Rolling Stone as a jazz pop album, Heart of a Woman contains "cool, sensuous arrangements" between four and seven minutes in length. It consists of eleven love songs by James' favorite female singers, including Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington, along with a new recording of her most famous song "At Last". The album was recorded in March 1999, and produced by James and John Snyder, with Lupe DeLeon serving as executive producer. James' two sons, Donto and Sametto, served as assistant producers, among other contributions. Guest musicians appearing on the album included: Mike Finnigan on organ, Red Holloway and Jimmy Zavala on tenor saxophone, and Lee Thornburg on multiple instruments.
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