Deluxe Edition
Koko Taylor's something of a deluxe edition herself. With a Cadillac of a voice that rumbles the earth and rattles the glassware, she reigns as the undisputed empress of the blues.Deluxe Edition, a retrospective of her 15 years with Alligator Records, may not include such classics as "I Got What It Takes" and theWillie Dixon-penned  "Twenty-Nine Ways," but itdoeshave "I'm a Woman," Taylor's answer toMuddy Waters, just to kick things off. Other highlights include "Born Under a Bad Sign"--a duet withBuddy Guy, of course. Much of Taylor's work in the 1970s included such duets, and here can also be foundCarey Bell(on "Mother Nature"),Pinetop Perkins(on  "Hey Bartender"), andB.B. King(on "Blues Hotel"). Everything onDeluxe Editionbrims with Taylor's trademark attitude, the sass and toughness for which she's well known. Yet Taylor is capable of astonishing tenderness as well, as is borne out by "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "Time Will Tell." Though this collection boasts only one obligatory previously unreleased track, it's a doozy: "Man Size Job," simply put, kicks ass. Looks like Taylor's reign is in no danger whatsoever.--Genevieve Williams