Blue

Blue is a posthumous-style release of a 'lost' studio album, originally recorded in the early 1970s during the sessions for Lady Sings the Blues and its follow-up projects. Shelved for over three decades, it was finally released by Motown in 2006. The album serves as a definitive showcase for Ross as a jazz stylist, a role she inhabited briefly but brilliantly during her cinematic portrayal of Billie Holiday. Unlike her 1973 album Touch Me in the Morning, which leaned into pop-soul, Blue remains strictly within the confines of traditional vocal jazz and standards. The recording captures Ross at a vocal peak, utilizing her signature light timbre to convey a surprising amount of pathos and weary wisdom. Critics, particularly from AllMusic, have noted that the album provides a necessary counter-narrative to her image as a pop diva, highlighting her interpretive skills and rhythmic phrasing. It stands as a significant archival discovery that bridges the gap between her Motown roots and her later sophisticated adult contemporary work.