Etta James a fost o cântăreață americană de rhythm and blues, soul, blues și jazz. Și-a început cariera la mijlocul anilor '50 și a devenit celebră cu hituri precum Dance With Me, Henry, At Last, Tell Mama și I'd Rather Go Blind. În 1993 a fost introdusă în Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, iar în 2001 în Blues Hall of Fame. A câștigat șase premii Grammy și șaptesprezece Blues Music Awards.
Compilația The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection a fost lansată în 2017 de casa de discuri Big3 în format gatefold digipack. Setul de trei discuri conține 60 de piese, oferind o perspectivă cuprinzătoare asupra carierei sale bogate, inclusiv înregistrări clasice precum At Last, W-O-M-A-N, I Just Want to Make Love to You și All I Could Do Was Cry. Colecția ilustrează amploarea talentului lui James de-a lungul genurilor – de la rhythm and blues și soul, prin rock and roll, până la sonorități blues și jazz.
Melodii
CD1
1. At Last
2. W-O-M-A-N
3. Dance With Me, Henry ('the Wallflower')
4. Good Rockin' Daddy
5. Crazy Feeling
6. Hey, Henry (Doin' Fine, Henry)
7. Be Mine
8. That's All
9. My One and Only (Number One)
10. I'm a Fool
11. Shortnin' Bread Rock
12. Tears of Joy
13. Tough Lover
14. Fools We Mortals Be
15. Good Lookin'
16. Then I'll Care
17. The Pick Up
18. Market Place
19. Come What May
20. I Hope You're Satisfied (With Harvey Fuqua).
CD2
1. I Just Want To Make Love To You
2. All I Could Do Was Cry
3. Don't Cry, Baby
4. Baby, Baby, Every Night
5. How Big a Fool
6. If I Can't Have You (With Harvey Fuqua)
7. Spoonful (With Harvey Fuqua)
8. Girl of My Dreams (Rendered As 'Boy of My Dreams')
9. My Dearest Darling
10. Tough Mary
11. Anything To Say You're Mine
12. Strange Things Happening
13. Stormy Weather
14. Fool That I Am
15. Dream
16. A Sunday Kind of Love
17. It's Too Soon To Know
18. One For My Baby (and One More For the Road)
19. In My Diary
20. I'll Dry My Eyes.
CD3
1. Trust In Me
2. Something's Got a Hold On Me
3. Seven Day Fool
4. Plum Nuts
5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
6. Waiting For Charlie To Come Home
7. Guess Again
8. A Lover's Mourn
9. You Can Count On Me
10. My Dear
11. Nobody But You
12. Let Me Know
13. How Do You Speak To an Angel?
14. Fools Rush In
15. Next Door To the Blues
16. Don't Blame Me
17. I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You)
18. These Foolish Things
19. Prisoner of Love
20. Would It Make Any Difference To You?.
