There are a LOT of grunts, whoops, and hollers in '50s/'60s R&B, but I think the BESTEST grunt of ALL the grunts ever grunted might be one of the most unexpected and subtle grunts as delivered by Ms. Gwen McCrae. Okay, dig her most magnificent grunt @ the 1:15 mark.

The song, obviously, doesn't need help to be a jam of the highest order, but her well-timed "uuh" kills me EVERY fucking time. McCrae is prolly best known for her '70s soul jams, but as far as I'm concerned, this 1970 take on one of Bobby Bland's killer deep ballads, "Lead Me On," is the alpha/omega of her catalog!