Big Mama Thornton with the Muddy Waters Blues Band

Big Mama Thornton is most often deployed as a cudgel by people who think disliking Elvis makes them special. To truly understand her appeal, check out this album from 1966, where, as the title indicates, she’s backed by Waters and Sammy Lawhorn on guitar, James Cotton on harmonica, Otis Spann on piano, Luther Johnson on bass, and Francis Clay on drums. Her powerful voice settles deep into the band’s driving groove, on both uptempo (“Black Rat”) and slow-burning (“Sometimes I Have A Heartache”) numbers, and when Cotton takes a solo, he’s not seizing the spotlight so much as matching her volcanic energy. At times, the music has an almost gospel feel, like on “I Feel The Way I Feel,” a brilliant showcase for Spann’s piano and Thornton’s voice, with no guitars or harmonica to get in the way.