Beginning in 1998, she returned to recording and touring. The new CD "To Ella" (recorded live and dedicated to her friend Ella Fitzgerald upon hearing of her death before walking on stage), was released in 1998 on Silverwolf Records, followed by three releases on M.C. Records in partnership with pianist/arranger/producer Seth Farber and record producer Mark Carpentieri. These included "Blues Everywhere I Go", a 2000 Grammy-nominated blues/jazz band tribute album to the great lady blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s; "Looking for a Home", a 2002 W.C. Handy Award-nominated band tribute to Lead Belly; and the 2007 Grammy-nominated "Gonna Let It Shine", a live album of gospel and spiritual songs supported by Seth Farber and The Holmes Brothers. These recordings and active touring led to guest appearance on fourteen new albums by other artists between 1999 and 2006 and the re-release of 45 old Odetta albums and compilation appearances.