Etta James bola americká speváčka rhythm and bluesu, soulu, bluesu a jazzu. Svoju kariéru začala v polovici 50. rokov a preslávila sa hitmi ako Dance With Me, Henry, At Last, Tell Mama či I'd Rather Go Blind. V roku 1993 bola uvedená do Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a v roku 2001 do Blues Hall of Fame. Šesťkrát získala Grammy a sedemnásťkrát Blues Music Award.
Kompilácia The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection vyšla v roku 2017 na vydavateľstve Big3 v gatefold digipaku. Trojdiskový set obsahuje 60 skladieb, ktoré ponúkajú prehľad jej bohatej kariéry, vrátane klasických nahrávok At Last, W-O-M-A-N, I Just Want to Make Love to You a All i could do was cry. Kolekcia zachytáva šírku Jamesovej talentu naprieč žánrami – od rhythm and blues a soulu cez rock and roll až po bluesové a jazzové polohy.
Skladby
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?.
