I Got What It Takes

I Got What It Takes

Yes, she does have what it takes - a howling voice big enough to stop a stampede, a generosity that projects through her music, and a genuine sense of blues history that allows her to pick worn tunes like Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man" and the Ruth Brown hit "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" and turn them into fresh party fodder. Taylor moved from Chess Records to the Alligator label for this 1975 recording, and she brought a great band with her. Led by guitarist Mighty Joe Young, they put percolating primal funk behind Taylor for her own "Voodoo Woman" and slam home the shuffle "Trying to Make a Living." There's even a little country, a genre Taylor listened to on the radio when she was growing up in Memphis, via Web Pierce's "Honky Tonk Song." These days Taylor doesn't perform very often, but this is what her five-nights-a-week Chicago club sets must have sounded like 30 years ago.

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