Jewels in the Crown: All Star Duets with the Queen (CD - 2007)

Additional personnel: New York Recording Orchestra, Elton John, Eurythmics, Fantasia, Frank Sinatra, George Benson , George Michael, Gloria Estefan, Boys' Choir of Harlem, John Legend, Keith Richards, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Michael McDonald , Whitney Houston, Bonnie Raitt.

JEWELS IN THE CROWN: ALL-STAR DUETS WITH THE QUEEN is a hybrid release of material old and new, with many of its 16 tracks dating back to Aretha Franklin's mid-1980s career resurgence. A number of these have never appeared on any of Franklin's proper albums prior to this release: her sassy take on "Jumpin' Jack Flash" with Keith Richards on lead guitar is from a film soundtrack, and her duet with Annie Lennox, "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves," first appeared on the Eurythmics' BE YOURSELF TONIGHT, while "What Now My Love" was a highlight of Frank Sinatra's DUETS. The three new songs pair Franklin with neo-soul star John Legend, hip-hop goddess Mary J. Blige and, most impressively, Franklin's spiritual granddaughter, Fantasia, who holds her own against her biggest inspiration on "Put You Up On Game."

There are duet records, and then there is recording "Jumpin' Jack Flash" with Keith Richards. A 16-track compilation of Aretha Franklin's duets from the '80s and '90s, Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets with the Queen benefits from the high-profile partners that the Queen of Soul has been able to hook over the years (plus a trio of new tracks featuring sympathetic partners: John Legend, Mary J. Blige, and Fantasia). Spanning her Arista years, the collection runs the gamut of studio techniques from the '80s to the 2000s. Six songs come from the '80s, including the Keith Richards feature, which is a little too pristine to suit a version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash." Others from the same era sound better, such as "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" with Eurythmics (which benefits from David Stewart's digital studio knowledge), and Franklin's hit duet with George Michael on "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." The '90s duets are also mixed, including a lackluster pairing with Frank Sinatra on "What Now My Love" (from the original Duets album), but also an energetic live performance of "Chain of Fools" with Mariah Carey that works much better than could be expected. Of the new tracks, John Legend's "What Y'All Came to Do" is the best, an upfront and testifying jam with deft vocal freestyles from Legend and Franklin. ~ John Bush minimize