The Definitive Collection includes the best songs from the first seven years of Angela Bofill’s recording career, from 1978 to 1985. That span can be divided into two stages: the first two years (when Bofill was working with jazz arranger Dave Grusin) and the last six (when she was guided by the more pop-oriented team of Clive Davis and Narada Michael Walden). Though the track listing mixes up the chronology, acute listeners should be able to sort the songs. The plush, dancelike arrangements of “Under the Moon and Over the Sky”—both produced by Grusin—are contrasted with the direct-to-dancefloor riffs of ”Something About You” and “Too Tough.” Both song types are great for different reasons. The through line is Bofill’s voice, which was never compromised, even when she was tickling the pop market. Her ballads let her access the mainstream without sacrificing her respect for the craft of singing. As a vocalist, she showed the ideal combination of feeling and technique, as affirmed by “I’m on Your Side,” “I Try,” and “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter.”