The breakthrough debut by the iconic mistress of pop, jazz, soul, R&B, blues is unparalleled in the years since in its genre blending, emotional power, and raw impact. Recorded over 10 hours in 1969 during the turmoil of the late '60s in the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King, and before the general realisation of the cultural shift that would become embodied in Woodstock, 'First Take' is the work of a woman who was known as a child prodigy and would later earn the title of genius.