Brit-turned-Nashville-resident Joanne Shaw Taylor recently introduced herself to the audience at The Hamilton Live with a bit of an apology. The blues guitar prodigy mentioned how she’d had to cancel her previous two shows because of bronchitis, and that she’d have to talk a bit less than usual during the evening’s performance. She soldiered on admirably though, delighting the crowd with fantastic playing, great songs, and some delightful stories.

Taylor got started early in the music business: Influenced by players like Jimi Hendrix, Albert Collins, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, she’s been playing in bands since she was just 11, and she was leading her own by the tender age of 13. She’s been a professional musician since she was 14, headlining clubs in the UK. When she was 16, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics recruited her to play in his band. Her first two albums, 2009’s White Sugar and the following year’s Diamonds in the Dirt, placed in the Top 10 of the US blues charts.