Each era has laid claim to a Queen of the Blues. It would be hard to argue against the late Koko Taylor as such royalty for her work with Alligator Records, across three decades, beginning in the late 1970s. So much so, that Alligator founder and president, Bruce Iglauer, personally supervised this remastered collection of Taylor’s most memorable contributions to the label’s catalog.

It’s a concise and affecting dozen, with Taylor’s signature sear never sounding better. Mostly, these are standards of the genre, given the Taylor treatment, but there are two Koko originals, “Voodoo Woman,” and “Ernestine,” that reveal her songwriting prowess, as well. Taylor was both pioneer and progressive- and a perennial festival favorite- carrying the art form of the Blues through the ‘70s and ‘80s when the genre needed the boost. Her impassioned growl always played so well with contemporary peers and collaborators, and the inclusion here of guests such as Pinetop Perkins and Buddy Guy- on, respectively, “You Can Have My Husband,” and “Born Under a Bad Sign,” especially-  leave no doubt.

Taylor’s career is more than just these twelve cuts, of course. Her complete Alligator output, alone, is a leading reason for the Chicago label’s longevity and credibility as the premier home and haven for the Blues. Yet, when polishing up and presenting Koko’s crown jewels, this is as advertised; a superb, dazzling assortment befitting the Queen.