Aretha roared back in Chicago in May/ Associated Press photo

The Queen of Soul is back — and she's coming to Mystic Lake Casino Oct. 7.

After being hospitalized last fall for undisclosed reasons (unconfirmed reports said cancer surgery but she owned up to abdominal problems), Aretha Franklin has been on the comeback trail since May. She released an album, "A Woman Falling Out of Love," through Wal-Mart. And the 69-year-old icon has performed occasional concerts to positive reviews.

Last week, the New York Times raved about her performance at Jones Beach Theater. "Her voice was fearlessly and rightfully exposed," wrote critic Jon Pareles. He said the concert was geared to her best impulses:

"She easily navigated all the chromatic twists, leaps and sprints of 'Moody's Mood for Love.' She was tart and percussive in 'Chain of Fools,' forceful calling for freedom as 'Think' kept transposing itself upward, jazzy and syncopated in 'You Send Me,' sultry in 'Giving Him Something He Can Feel.'"

Tickets for Aretha, priced at $69 and $79, will go on sale at 10 a.m. Aug. 13.