KOKO TAYLOR 28th September 1928 – 3rd June 2009

“Queen of the Blues” Koko Taylorpassed away on 3rd June 2009 in her hometown of Chicago, IL, after complications following surgery to correct a gastrointestinal bleed. She was 80. The GRAMMY Award-winning Blues singer, who recently won her 29th Blues Music Award (Traditional Female Blues Artist Of The Year), was discovered by the legendary Willie Dixon, who instigated her signing with Chess Records and would subsequently produce several singles, two albums and pen her million-selling 1965 hit ‘Wang Dang Doodle’, which would become Taylor’s signature song. Koko had been an Alligator Records recording artist since 1975, recording nine albums for the album (eight of which were GRAMMYnominated, including 2007’s “Old School”). The singer, born Cora Walton (gaining her nickname ‘Koko’ because of her love of chocolate) to Tennessee sharecroppers, also appeared in films such as “Wild At Heart”, “Mercury Rising” and “Blues Brothers 2000”. Amongst the numerous awards bestowed on the popular singer, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley honoured Taylor with a Legend Of The Year Award and declared “Koko Taylor Day” throughout Chicago in 1993; in 1997, Koko was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame; in 1999, she received the Blues Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award; and, in 2004, she received the NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award, which is among the highest honours given to an American artist. alligator.com

The “Queen of the Blues”.

􏰁Brooklyn duo She Keeps Beesrelease new album “Nests” on 3rd August 2009 via Names Records. Said to take their influence from the likes of Howlin’ Wolf and PJ Harvey, the couple’s homemade debut recording features just drums, guitar and Jessica’s “sing ‘til her stomach hurts” vocals. The duo will play London’s The Luminaire on 2nd July, with British festival appearances during August and September. myspace.com/shekeepsbees 􏰁Nell Bryden releases her second studio album, “What Does It Take?”, on 24th August 2009 via 157 Records. The album was recorded and produced by GRAMMY award-winning producer David Kershenbaum (Tori Amos, Cat

Stevens, Tracy Chapman􏰂). myspace.com/nellbryden 􏰁Curtis Whitefinger

released the follow-up to 2008’s “Your Arse Is Mine” on 25th May 2009. “The Curtis Whitefinger Ordeal” (his fifth album on Black Thumb Records) features a cover of

the Tamla-Motown mod classic ‘Baby Don’t Do It’. Curtis plays Birmingham’s Hare & Hounds on 10th September 2009. cur

tiswhitefinger.co.uk 􏰁Willem Maker releases “New Moon Hand” via Fat Possum/big Legal mess on 29th June 2009.

Joining Willem on his second album, said to continue “the rich lyricism and punishing Bluesbased guitar” of his

acclaimed debut “Stars Fell On”, are Alvin Youngblood Hart, Jim Dickinson and Cedric Burnside. Amongst the

standouts is “the soulful,” ‘White Ladye’. myspace.com/makerworks

Blues Matters! 13