Koko Taylor – Goodbye To The Queen

Chess and Alligator recording artist Koko Taylor, the legendary “Queen of the Blues”, passed away Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at the age of 80. Winner of more Blues Music Awards than any other blues performer in history, her last performance was May 7, 2009 at the Blues Music Awards presentation ceremonies after receiving the Traditional Blues Artist of the Year Award for 2008.

Check out videos of Koko doing her thing here:

http://rootsrocknblues.us/videos/kokotaylor

“Koko Taylor is the great female blues singer of her generation. Raw vocal power and blustery swagger.”
– Rolling Stone

“Koko Taylor is a national treasure…she packs firepower a lot of youngsters only wish they had.”
– Chicago Tribune

“Koko Taylor is the blues…a growling goddess of down-and-dirty. Sheer, unstoppable shouting power, full steam ahead and damn the torpedoes. There are many kings of the blues but only one queen. Koko’s voice is capable of pinning a listener to the back wall.”
– Boston Globe

“Raucous, gritty, good-time blues…Taylor belts out blues in a gravel voice with ferocious intensity. Foot-stomping music that’s rough, raw and wonderfully upbeat.”
– People

“Chicago’s best blues singer…she has fire in her lungs.”
–Chicago Sun-Times

Amen.

Roots, Rock ‘n Blues

“Cadillac Records” Captures the Chess Records Era

“Cadillac Records” opened today in theaters across the U.S. “Cadillac Records” is the story of Chess Records and the amazing array of blues talent who recorded for them in the 1950′s and 1960′s.

Despite taking some liberties with the facts, the film provides a good feel for the time and the lives of the musicians who made musical history at Chicago’s Chess Records. The film’s name is derived from the nickname given Chess by Muddy Waters. The notion was that anyone recording for Chess who had any degree of success would get a Cadillac sooner or later.

One of the noteworthy things about this movie is that the actors do their own singing and playing. Beyonce is excellent as Etta James. Jeffrey Wright stars as Muddy Waters, Columbus Short is Little Walter Jacobs and Mos Def plays Chuck Berry.

Reviews I’ve seen are mixed, but generally agree that the movie captures the essence of the lifestyle of these incredible blues players. Sounds like a must-see to me!

Roots, Rock ‘n Blues