The real mystery is why it took so long for Etta James to win a Grammy. But this great American vocalist claimed her first statue by paying tribute to another grand singer. James's versions of Billie Holiday-identified tunes like "Don't Explain," "You've Changed," "Lover Man," and "The Man I Love" are the best readings of Lady Day's signatures in a generation. Pianist Cedar Walton leads the seven-piece band in spare and graceful arrangements faithful to the mainstream jazz sound of the '40s and '50s, which gives James ample room to exercise her soaring range and deliver a dazzling, seductive, and warm tour de force. --Ted Drozdowski