The wonderful, talented Etta James (who sadly passed away after a long illness in January 2012) made many appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival across her long and distinguished career from first concert in 1975 through to her last in 2008. This CD brings together the best performances from the first 20 years of her association with the festival when she was at her absolute peak.

The album begins with 'I Just Wanna Make Love To You,' actually a 1954 blues song written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters, before heading into the lush 'I'd Rather Go Blind,' anoher Blues song written by Ellington Jordan for James in 1968.

Then we get the delicious 'How Strong Is A Woman,' a tracked culled from her infamous Island Sessions, before both 'A Lover Is Forever' ("I think, I understand The reason you won't stay with me. You think a ring upon your hand Will solve your insecurity") and then 'Beware.' Then we get a wonderful rendition of 'Come to Mama,' which was written by Willie Mitchell and Earl Randle and was first released by Ann Peebles in 1975, before a rousingly-seductive 'Respect Yourself' ("If you disrespect everybody that you run into. How in the world do you think everybody's 'sposed to respect you?")

Next is 'W.O.M.A.N.,' with 'Dust My Broom' following behind (a blues standard originally recorded as 'I Believe I'll Dust My Broom'), before the album comes to a close with a roaring 'Medley: At Last / Trust In Me / A Sunday Kind Of Love,' and then finally 'Sugar On The Floor.'