At Last

Originally serving as minor hit for the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1942, "At Last" has been almost universally associated with blues singer Etta James following her 1960 recording for Argo Records. Although it's debatable that nobody has yet managed to match the magic of James' version, the song's popularity endures to this day through covers by such diverse stylists as Cyndi Lauper, Martina McBride and Beyonce Knowles. Riley Hampton's arrangement is fairly simple overall, serving mainly as a cornerstone for the real star of the show, the vocalist. Nonetheless, the romantic introductory line is instantly recognizable in and of itself, as it does an outstanding job of setting up the remainder of the performance. The backgrounds behind the vocalist are not much more than gentle pads, and although they should never get in the vocalist's way, they should provide an underlying warmth to enhance the mood appropriately. This arrangement is for vocal soloist with string orchestra and rhythm section accompaniment. Vocal key is F.