In May 2009, Taylor released her debut album, White Sugar, via Ruf Records. Taylor's second album was 2010's Diamonds in the Dirt, also on Ruf Records. Both albums peaked at No. 8 in the US, on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. In 2010, she won Best Female Vocalist at the British Blues Awards. [7] [8] She won the same award at the 2011 British Blues Awards, and the Songwriter of the Year award for "Same as It Never Was", from Diamonds in the Dirt. [7] Joanne: Yeah. In about two weeks. I’m really looking forward to it. I know Devon and all the boys, but I also know a lot of the guest artists. I’m going to have to pace myself. I’m going to be very excited to see everybody, like Christmas. I wanted to have some fun so why not make it even more fun and have Joe involved? It was quite a selfish album, really! It was one for me more than anything Oh good, because that is what we wanted. To be honest, it is a live performance, as Josh said. We were talking about production techniques and he said, ‘What production techniques? You can’t get any more live than this. We used a live band in a live studio with the same amps, everything’s been done live.’

You did, however, record this album in Nashville. It is the most quintessentially blues album that you’ve recorded.

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When the pandemic put the brakes on from musicians from touring during 2020 and most of 2021, Joanne thought it was the right time to head into the studio to record The Blues Album. BBC News – Stars perform at Diamond Jubilee concert". Bbc.co.uk. 4 June 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016 . Retrieved 9 June 2012. release of her seventh studio full-length record The Blues Album on Friday September 17, 2021. Today she also shares a new single, “Let Me Down Easy” along with a companion music video I also get nervous performing in front of people I know. I always find that a very strange experience. Like my dad comes to a lot of my gigs and I love him being there, but also there is a slight thing of, I wouldn’t go to my dad’s job and stare at him while he works at a desk for 10 hours. It would be really weird. (Laughter)

The Little Richard ballad [I Don't Know What You've Got] was a big one, because I always loved that song; I like the subject matter. I think we have all been in that position where we have fallen in love with someone and think, ‘Why am I in love with this person? They are an arsehole.’ Y’know!? [Laughs] And I think he approaches that subject very well. He was already acting as a mentor as well as an unofficial producer on The Blues Album, so I asked him if he’d fancy the job, officially,” says Joanne. “Thankfully, he accepted. The Blues Album has been everything I hoped it would be. It’s been a labor of love, overseen by an artist, producer, and friend who I trust beyond measure. I Don’t Know What You’ve Got” originally is a B-side ballad recorded by Little Richard. But in Joanne’s hands and vocals, alongside Mike Farris, it becomes a new version. Joanne once revealed that “If That Ain’t A Reason” was a Bonamassa suggestion that she decided to go through. An early funky blues success released by the Mississippian bluesman Little Milton, Joanne performed it with impressive vocals and a powerful guitar solo. Previously recorded by names like Ronnie Wood and Aretha Franklin, “If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody” is another good choice for the album. “Keep On Lovin’ Me” is a song by Otis Rush and Magic Sam that Joanne leverages the groove through her extremely emotive vocals and powerful guitar. Joe made it known from the get-go that his main objective for this album was to push me as a singer,” recalls Joanne. “Obviously, Joe has seen me perform many times over the years and knows my voice well. I think he felt that he could my vocal performance more, and get more out of it, especially since I’d had over a year to rest my vocal cords.”Joanne: I guess so. You don’t usually blend those lines. To have my best friend producing an album, and as you mentioned, he’s incredibly talented and at the top of his game and certainly at the top of this genre. It’s a little intimidating. I was worried about that. I think it made us better friends because after two weeks of being in the studio, he’d seen me play the good notes and all the bad notes. Once you’ve seen someone in their yoga pants, watching The Crown and eating popcorn, if you can still respect them as an artist, you’re onto a winner, really. (Laughter)

Slowing a little bit, “Let Me Down Easy” has its mood set by the fingered guitar chords and flawless horn lines. “Scraps Vignette” is an instrumental interlude where Joanne performs one of her unmistakable solos. “Stop Messin’ Round” and “Three Time Loser” feature amazing piano solos and probably the most powerful vocal performances by Joanne on the album. The closing song is The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ “Two Time My Lovin’”. Joanne Shaw Taylor just released her lauded new album, The Blues Album, produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, out on KTBA Records. The record features Joanne’s personalized covers of 11 rare blues classics originally recorded by Albert King, Peter Green, Little Richard, Magic Sam, Aretha Franklin, Little Milton and more.

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Joanne Shaw Taylor: Thank you very much, Love. That’s nice to hear. I’ve always loved singing, but I’ve found it more of a challenge and therefore, more rewarding to try and push myself more on that, which we certainly did. (Laughter) And Joe (Bonamassa) certainly tried to push me.