Album of the Day

When people referred to Atlantic Records as “the house that Ruth built,” it was both a play on Yankee Stadium's nickname and a tribute to Ruth Brown, whose string of hits in the 1950s helped keep the fledgling New York-based label afloat. Brown's second album for the imprint, MISS RHYTHM, was compiled from some of those single A- and B-sides stretching back several years prior to the set's 1959 release. The dozen songs here cover a lot of ground, but with assists from instrumentalists including King Curtis and Mickey Baker, Ruth knocks them out of the park; “I Can See Everybody's Baby” and “This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'” both reached the R&B Top 10. Ruth Brown was born 90 years ago, and MISS RHYTHM captures the feisty spirit and exceptional vocal range that put her in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.