Blues Roadhouse

Koko Taylor — “Crown Jewels — Alligator Records

Watching, and hearing, Koko Taylor perform was always a near-religious experience. I was privileged to have that experience several times, including one of her last, in 2008.

“Perform” might not be the best description of her singing style. Taylor poured her heart and soul into every song, overwhelming you with the power of her magnificent voice. Her force-of-nature vocals grabbed you, shook you with their raw power, ripped the blues from her heart and poured them into yours. Taylor’s music was always a revelation in the blues.

For her 40-plus year career, Taylor reigned as the “queen of the blues,” and gathered blues awards as smoothy as she made her music. In 2004 she received the NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award, among the highest honors given to an American artist. She had previously received a “Chicago Legend Of The Year” award when the city declared “Koko Taylor Day” throughout Chicago. In 1997, she was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame. A year later, Chicago Magazine named her “Chicagoan Of The Year” and, in 1999, Taylor received the Blues Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.  Eight of her nine Alligator albums received Grammy nominations, and she won a Grammy in 1984 for her guest appearance on the compilation album “Blues Explosion” on the Atlantic label.

Rolling Stone may have said it the best: “Koko Taylor was the greatest blues singer of her generation.”

Taylor spent 34 years of her career recording for Alligator Records, from 1975 to her death in 2009. Alligator founder and president Bruce Iglauer says that for this album, available as a vinyl LP or from digital services, “We picked and remastered songs from throughout her career, highlighting her most-requested fan favorites—each one a gem.”

Those gems would be the “crown jewels” of her legendary output: “Wang Dang Doodle,” “Mother Nature,” “Voodoo Woman,” “Can’t Let Go,” “Ernestine,” “Come To Mama,” “Hey Bartender,” “Born Under A Bad Sign” (with guest Buddy Guy), “You Can Have My Husband,” “I’d Rather Go Blind” (live), “Let The Good Times Roll” and “I’m A Woman.” 

If you’re a Taylor fan, you’ve likely heard most of these songs, but this assembly of “the best of the best” puts the essence of her talents on full display. If, like me, you’ve seen her live, you’ll appreciate just how hard she worked to bring you her music. She was still doing that when I took the photo here of her 2008 Chicago Blues Festival appearance, just a year before her death. The one song on this album that I had not heard, however, is her tough and tender version of the Etta James classic, “I’d Rather Go Blind.” As she usually did, Taylor re-created the song in a style that was unmistakably her own, making that track alone worth the price of admission.

This album also features many of the great blues musicians that she worked with during her career, including Buddy Guy, Carey Bell, Sammy Lawhorn, Mighty Joe Young, Vino Louden, Eddie King and the great gospel guitarist, Taylor’s cousin Criss Johnson. A full list of the musicians on each track is at the bottom of this post.

Taylor died on June 3, 2009, in her hometown of Chicago. Just a month earlier, Taylor won her 29th Blues Music Award from the Blues Foundation, where she also delivered her final performance. Having received more Blues Music Awards than any other artist (male or female), the Blues Foundation re-named the award for Traditional Blues Female Artist “The Koko Taylor Award” in her honor.

“Crown Jewels” honors Taylor’s musical memory with a sampling of her most vital recordings. If you’ve never heard her sing, and you’re a blues fan, it’s a requirement! Start here!

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Here’s a biography of Koko Taylor’s life and career from the Alligator Records website.

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Here’s a live version of “Wang Dang Doodle.”

Tracklist and credits:

SIDE A
1. Wang Dang Doodle 4:24 
(Wilie Dixon, BMG Bumblebee obo Hoochie Coochie Music, BMI)
2. Mother Nature 4:42
(Little Milton Campbell, Trice Music, BMI)
3. You Can Have My Husband 2:46
(Dorothy LaBostrie, Wixen Music Publ., BMI)
4. Born Under A Bad Sign 4:56
(Booker T. Jones & William Bell, Irving Music, BMI)
5. I’m A Woman 4:34
(Ellis McDaniel & Koko Tayor, BMG Rights Mgt./BMG Platinum Songs, BMI)
6. Voodoo Woman 3:47
(Koko Taylor, Eyeball Music, BMI)
SIDE B
7. I’d Rather Go Blind (Live) 4:42
(Ellington Jordan & Billy Foster, BMG Platinum Songs obo Arc Music, BMI)8. Can’t Let Go 4:59
(Koko Taylor, Eyeball Music, BMI)
9. Hey Bartender 2:52
(Floyd Dixon, Cottontail West Music, BMI)
10. Ernestine 5:03
(Koko Taylor, Eyeball Music, BMI)
11. Come To Mama 4:48
(Willie Mitchell & Earl Randle, Irving Music, BMI)
12. Let The Good Times Roll 3:01
(Fleecie Moore & Sam Theard, Kobalt Music Publ. America obo Rytvoc Inc./Cherio Corp., BMI)

Koko Taylor, vocals
with
Tracks 1, 3, 5, 9, 12:
Sammy Lawhorn, Guitar
Johnny B. Moore, Guitar
Pinetop Perkins, Piano
Abb Locke, Tenor Sax
Cornelius Boyson, Bass
Vince Chappelle, Drums
Harmonia Hinds, Harmonica on I’m A Woman
Produced by Koko Taylor, Bruce Iglauer and Richard McLeese
Recorded and Mixed by Fred Breitberg at Mantra Studios, Chicago IL

Tracks 2, 4:
Criss Johnson, Lead Guitar
Calvin “Vino” Louden, Rhythm Guitar
Jeremiah Africa, Keyboards
Jerry Murphy, Bass
Ray “Killer” Allison, Drums
Carey Bell, Harmonica on Mother Nature
Buddy Guy, Guitar and Vocals on Born Under A Bad Sign
Produced by Criss Johnson, Koko Taylor and Bruce Iglauer
Recorded and Mixed by David Axelbaum at Streeterville Studios, Chicago IL

Track 6:
Mighty Joe Young, Lead Guitar
Sammy Lawhorn, Guitar
Bill Heid, Piano
Abb Locke, Tenor Sax
Cornelius Boyson, Bass
Vince Chappelle, Drums
Produced by Koko Taylor, Joe Young and Bruce Iglauer
Recorded by Stu Black and Mixed by Alan Hendler at Sound Studios, Chicago, IL

Track 7:
Michael “Mr. Dynamite” Robinson, Lead Guitar
Eddie King, Rhythm Guitar
Jerry Murphy, Bass
Clyde “Youngblood” Tyler, Drums
Produced by Bruce Iglauer, Koko Taylor and Robert “Pops’’ Taylor
Recorded by Justin Niebank and Timothy Powell at FitzGerald’s Roadhouse, Berwyn, IL
Mixed by Justin Niebank at Streeterville Studios, Chicago, IL

Track 8:
Criss Johnson, Guitar
Jim Dortch, Organ
Jerry Murphy, Bass
Ray “Killer” Allison, Drums
Horns Arranged by Gene Barge
Produced by Bruce Iglauer, Koko Taylor and Criss Johnson
Recorded and Mixed by David Axelbaum, assisted by Justin Niebank and Steve Frisk at Streeterville Studios, Chicago IL

Track 10:
Criss Johnson, Guitar
Johnnie Johnson, Piano
Matthew Skoller, Harmonica
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
Produced by Koko Taylor, Criss Johnson and Bruce Iglauer
Recorded and Mixed by David Axelbaum at Chicago Recording Company, Chicago, IL

Track 11:
Criss Johnson, Guitar
“Professor” Eddie Lusk, Organ
Johnny B. Gayden, Bass
Ray “Killer” Allison, Drums
Produced by Koko Taylor, Bruce Iglauer and Criss Johnson
Recorded and Mixed by Justin Niebank at Streeterville Studios, Chicago, IL

Crown Jewels produced by Bruce Iglauer
Remastered by Collin Jordan, The Boiler Room, Chicago, IL
Front cover photo by Paul Natkin/Photo Reserve
Back cover photo by Sandro Miller
Packaging designed by Kevin Niemiec