Sheba 'The Mississippi Queen' - Butter On My Roll (2009)

Virtually born to sing, Sheba the Mississippi Queen, aka Martha Booker, inherits a proud legacy of female blues belters, adding her own resonant chapter to the story with her wonderful, uptown-style album, "Butter On My Roll." Built solidly on a foundation of the blues and Southern R&B, and utilizing a stellar band that includes a truly galvanizing horn section, Sheba the Mississippi Queen refuses to be constrained on this 13-song collection, sprinkling pure jazz ("Can't Help Lovin My Man"), Southern Soul ("Tell Me Why"), and Funk ("Hay Girlfriend"), and even some classic balladry ("Don't Say Goodbye"), into the potent mix. But let there be no doubt that Sheba the Mississippi Queen is first and foremost a master blues singer, and on mid-tempo numbers, like the Bessie Smith-infused title track, "Butter on My Rolls," or on foot-stompers like "Dance Jump Shout" and "Oh So Good," the singer proves herself more than worthy to join the ranks of successor to the recently departed Queen of Blues, Koko Taylor. Sheba the Mississippi Queen's "Butter On My Roll" will stand as a first-rate addition to listeners' collection of outstanding Blues albums.