Jo Ann Garrett was probably the youngest artist signed to Chess Records. She was just fifteen years old when she won a talent contest at Chicago’s Regal Theatre in 1966 and was offered a contract by Chess. Her first release was “Stay By My Side” / “A Whole New Plan”, which sold well in the city. The following year saw two follow-up singles. The first was “Thousand Miles Away”, with “Just Say When” on the B-side, arranged by Charles Stepney. The second was “You Can’t Come In” / “I’m So Afraid”, with backing provided by the Dells. Andre Williams produced both singles.
In 1969 Garrett moved to the Duo Records label, where she recorded five singles between 1968 and 1970. Meanwhile Chess continued to release some of her earlier material, including a duet with producer Williams entitled “The Same Time, Same thing, Same Place” backed by “A Rockin’ Good Way” in 1969. With her light but dynamic voice, Garrett outshines her producer.
Chess Records made a final effort to launch Garrett’s career with the release of her first album, “Just A Taste”, in 1969. The ten songs include compositions by some well-known names: Joe Simon, Carolyn Franklin, Bacharach & David, Clyde Otis and Billy Butler. The two most interesting tracks are “Walk On By” and “Ain’t No Way”. Garrett’s version of the first has echoes of Isaac Hayes’ cover on his album “Hot Buttered Soul”, whilst the second is an excellent interpretation of an Aretha Franklin song.
Sadly, Garrett never made the breakthrough that she deserved. Her last recording was made at Duke Records in 1973, a cover of Barbara Hammonds’ “I’m Under Your Control”. Her songs have, however, been included on several compilation albums, including 1997’s “Chess Soul: A Decade of Chicago’s Finest”. The bouncy optimism of her songs made many of them very popular on the UK’s Northern Soul scene.
