BLUES leading light Joanne Shaw Taylor is playing The Citadel on Saturday (July 11).

Voted Best British Blues Female Vocalist at the British Blues Awards in 2010 and 2011, the singer-songwriter and guitarist will be showcasing tracks from her latest album 'The Dirty Truth'.

At 14, Joanne played legendary London jazz club Ronnie Scott's and after leaving school at 16, she ran straight into her big break, as a twist of fate directed her demo into the hands of Eurythmics icon Dave Stewart after a charity gig.

She began writing her own songs at 21 and soon she was working with veteran producer Jim Gaines, bassist Dave Smith and drummer Steve Potts on the songs that became her debut album White Sugar.

Since then, Joanne, who hails from the West Midlands, has broken into the notoriously hard-to-crack US market, beating the stereotypes of her age and gender, and being watched by 17 million viewers as she played a solo during Annie Lennox's set at the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Concert. That same summer she released third album Almost Always Never.

A spokesperson for The Citadel said: "Through hard work and near-constant touring, Joanne is now one of the hottest young names on the British Blues circuit. She is admired and respected by many leading guitarists including Joe Bonamassa."

In May 2014, Joanne recorded her new studio album The Dirty Truth in Memphis. It is described as a return to her original sound, mixing rock and blues influences.

Tickets, costing £17.50, are available at The Citadel box office in Waterloo Street, by calling 08444 780898 or 01744 735436, or via the website citadel.org.uk/whats-on. Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start.