Petals: The Minnie Riperton Collection

At long last, Minnie Riperton fans have a collection that does the extraordinary vocalist justice. This two-CD set is a gorgeous testament to her talents--her breathtaking, five-and-a-half octave range, her incredible versatility, and the exquisite, inimitable artistry Riperton brought to everything she did throughout her all-too-brief career, which ended tragically in 1979 when she succumbed to breast cancer at the age of 31. Though best known for her 1974 chart-topper, "Lovin' You," Riperton had a remarkable stylistic range that is showcased on this 35-track collection, which includes previously hard-to-find material such as "Lonely Girl" (a melodramatic ballad of puppy love that provides a glimpse of a young Minnie's already-impassioned vocal delivery), and tracks from her stint as a singer for psychedelic rock outfit Rotary Connection. All of Riperton's most popular tunes are here, but the collection's rewards come in discovering the singer in new ways: as a funkateer ("Young, Willing and Able"), a seductress ("Can You Feel What I'm Saying"), and a samba queen ("Could It Be I'm in Love"). And inspired collaborations with legends such as guitarist Jose Feliciano ("Light My Fire") provide delightful portraits of Riperton's innate musicality and her ear for improvisation. --Sylvia W. Chan