Jamesetta Hawkins, known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including blues, R&B, soul, rock and roll, jazz and gospel. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", "Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "I'd Rather Go Blind". She faced a number of personal problems, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, and incarceration, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch.
Mel Brown was an American-born blues guitarist and singer. He is best remembered for his decade long backing of Bobby Bland, although in his own right, Brown recorded over a dozen albums between 1967 and 2006.
The Anthology: 1947–1972 is a double compilation album by Chicago blues singer and guitarist Muddy Waters. It contains many of his best-known songs, including his R&B single chart hits "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man", "Just Make Love to Me ", and "I'm Ready". Chess and MCA Records released the set on August 28, 2001.
Peter Green Splinter Group is an album by the British blues band of the same name, led by Peter Green. Released in 1997, this was their first album, and essentially the comeback album for Green, who had been out of the music business for around 10 years. Green was the founder of Fleetwood Mac and a member of that group from 1967–70, before a sporadic solo career during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
At Last! is the debut studio album by American blues and soul artist Etta James. Released on Argo Records in November 1960 the album was produced by Phil and Leonard Chess. At Last! also rose to no. 12 upon the Billboard Top Catalog Albums chart.
The Second Time Around is the second studio album by the American blues artist Etta James. The album was released in 1961 on Argo Records. It was produced by Phil and Leonard Chess, who also produced her previous album. Riley Hampton was the arranger and orchestra conductor.
"Goin' Down Slow" or "Going Down Slow" is a blues song composed by American blues singer St. Louis Jimmy Oden. It is considered a blues standard and "one of the most famous blues of all".
"I Just Want to Make Love to You" is a 1954 blues song written by Willie Dixon, first recorded by Muddy Waters, and released as "Just Make Love to Me". The song reached number four on Billboard magazine's R&B Best Sellers chart.
Let's Roll is the twenty-sixth studio album by Etta James. It won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2003, and also won a W. C. Handy Award as the Soul/Blues Album of the Year from the Blues Foundation in 2004.
T-Bird Rhythm is the fourth studio album by Texas-based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds, released in 1982. The recording contains a mixture of covers and originals. Chrysalis dropped the band following the release of the album.
Matriarch of the Blues is the twenty-fourth studio album by Etta James, released in December 2000 through the record label Private Music. The album's title reflects James' nickname as "matriarch of the blues". Marking James' return to blues following attempts at country music and jazz and pop standards, the album consists primarily of rhythm and blues covers. James' sons, Donto and Sametto, are credited as engineers, mixers, and producers, among other contributions; the album features Mike Finnigan on the Hammond organ, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, and performances on multiple instruments by Jimmy Zavala.
Blue Gardenia is the twenty-fifth studio album by Etta James, released through the record label Private Music. It was produced by John Snyder, who had worked with James on five of her previous studio albums. Blue Gardenia contains thirteen jazz standards from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. All of the standards were arranged by pianist Cedar Walton, with the exception of "Love Letters", which was arranged by Josh Sklair. Between November 2000 and February 2001, Snyder and Walton assembled musicians to record tracks while James was recovering from a flu; her vocals were added following her recovery. In addition to Walton, artists appearing on the album included Red Holloway on tenor saxophone and Dorothy Hawkins, James' mother, who provided vocals on the title track. Hawkins died in May 2002, less than a year after the album's release.
Heart of a Woman is the twenty-third studio album by Etta James released in June 1999 by RCA Records. The album consists of eleven love songs from her favorite female singers as well as a recording of her most popular song, "At Last". Recorded in March 1999, Heart of a Woman was produced by James and John Snyder with Lupe DeLeon as executive producer. James' two sons Donto and Sametto served as assistant producers. Guest musicians appearing on the album include Mike Finnigan, Red Holloway, and Jimmy Zavala. Critical reception of Heart of a Woman was mixed. The album peaked at number four on the Top Blues Albums chart of Billboard magazine.
Bobby Murray is an American electric blues guitarist, songwriter and record producer who has played in Etta James' backing band for twenty three years, performed on three Grammy Award winning recordings with James and B.B. King and released four solo albums. In 2011, the Detroit Blues Society granted Murray their Lifetime Achievement Award. Murray currently leads his own band in Metro Detroit and has won several Detroit Music Awards. His latest solo recording, I'm Sticking With You, was released in 2013.
Stickin' to My Guns is a studio album by Etta James, released in 1990. It was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Blues Recording".
Walkin' This Road by Myself is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in Texas and released on the Bluesville label.
Soul Blues, is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in 1963 and released on the Bluesville label.
Lightnin'! is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in California in 1969, and originally released on the Poppy label as a double LP.
Live at Newport is a live album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Several tracks were released on three Vanguard Records compilation albums, The Great Blues Men (1971), Great Bluesmen Newport (1977), and Blues with a Feeling (1993) before the complete performance was released on CD in 2002.
The Swarthmore Concert, subtitled King of the Blues, is a live album by blues musicians Lightnin' Hopkins recorded at the Swarthmore College Folk Festival in 1965 and originally released as part of the seven CD Box Set Lightnin' Hopkins: The Complete Prestige/Bluesville Recordings in 1991 before being reissued on Bluesville as a single CD in 1993.
