Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1

Whether with the groundbreaking group Rufus or on her own, Chaka Khan has one of the most distinctive and influential voices in R&B. She´s able to wail at full emotive throttle or deliver a love song with nuanced jazz-inflected tones, and sometimes even do both within the same track. This 1996 collection gathers some of Khan´s biggest and most beloved solo efforts. Included here are the classic tangy attack of "Ain´t Nobody" and the turntable-enhanced smash "I Feel for You" (penned by admirer and recent collaborator Prince). There´s also the anthemic original version of "I´m Every Woman," the moody "Through the Fire," and her 1996 collabo with Me´Shell Ndegeocello, "You Never Miss the Water." As all great vocalists do, Khan takes control of every song, breathing fire and life into the words and interpreting them without overpowering their meaning. One listen to Epiphany and it´s abundantly clear that, even though she´s been AWOL from the charts for a while, Chaka Khan remains a founding mother of soul and funk, armed with a potent voice that can both illuminate and elevate.