On December 12, 2000, “Private Music” label released “Matriarch of the Blues”, the twenty-fourth Etta James studio album. It was recorded in 2000, and was produced by Donto Metto James and Sametto James.

Personnel:

• Etta James – lead and backing vocals, liner notes
• Josh Sklair – acoustic and electric guitar, slide guitar, keyboards, rhythm arrangements
• Bobby Murray – guitar
• Leo Nocentelli – guitar
• Mike Finnigan – Hammond organ
• Jimmy Zavala – harmonica, tenor and baritone saxophone
• Sametto James – bass, engineer, mixing
• Donto Metto James – drums, engineer, mixing, percussion
• Tom Poole – trumpet
• Terrance Galloway – engineer assistant
• Doug Sax – mastering
• Julie Bruzzone – creative director
• Sonny Mediana – design, photography
• Rudy Calvo – make-up
• Lupe DeLeon – executive producer

Track listing:

1. Gotta Serve Somebody – Bob Dylan
2. Don’t Let My Baby Ride – Deadric Malone, O. V. Wright
3. Rhymes – Al Green, Teenie Hodges
4. Try a Little Tenderness – Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, Harry M. Woods
5. Miss You – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
6. Hawg for Ya – Otis Redding
7. You’re Gonna Make Me Cry – Deadric Malone
8. Walking the Back Streets – Sandy Jones, Jr.
9. Let’s Straighten It Out – Benny Latimore
10. Born on the Bayou – John Fogerty
11. Come Back Baby – Ray Charles, Lightnin’ Hopkins
12. Hound Dog – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller