Bessie Smith - Bessie Smith: Queen Of The Blues - Vol. 1 [Remaster]

Artist:

Smith, Bessie

UPC:

788065902926

Description:

Personnel: Bessie Smith (vocals); Clarence Williams, Fletcher Henderson (piano). As evidenced by the five double-disc sets issued by Columbia at the end of the last century, Bessie Smith was at the very least prolific. From the beginning of her series of recordings for the label in 1923, she recorded and toured almost incessantly until her death in an automobile accident in 1937. England`s JSP issues its first volume in a projected two-volume series that places her first 90 sides -- master takes only -- on four fine sounding CDs. There are decent notes in each volume documenting her rise to fame, from 1923`s "Downhearted Blues" b/w "Gulf Coast Blues" until she became the undisputed queen, perhaps even Empress, of the genre in 1926 with the hits "Hard Time Blues" and "Honey Man Blues." The liners detail the inclusion of many famous sidemen from Fletcher Henderson (who replaced her first pianist, and manager, Clarence Williams) and clarinet boss Don Redman, cornettist Joe "Fox" Smith, trombone player Charlie Green, and Elmer Snowden on banjo on "Nobody`s Blues But Mine" and "I Ain`t Got Nobody." Even the great Louis Armstrong appeared with Smith during the years 1924 and 1925, when her bands were just a tad bigger. The amazing thing as one listens to these sides is that Smith`s voice is stronger than all these instruments combined. Given that her voice was such a force of nature, it`s a wonder that Columbia booked her sessions with such illustrious talents in the first place -- Armstrong, Henderson, and Redman -- as well as Buster Bailey were already established artists. Of the 90 cuts here, all are worth hearing, even though some performances, understandably, are better than others. Suffice to say that these sides are actually a better investment that the Columbia sides simply because they cost about half as much and there are only a pair of sets as opposed to five. At this price it`s worth investing just for the curious. That said, however, one cannot place these liner notes in the same category with the ones on Columbia`s set, which are superior in every way, but there is enough information here to get started at the very least, and all the sessions are detailed as well. ~ Thom Jurek

Track Listing:

DISC 1:

1. Downhearted Blues
2. Gulf Coast Blues
3. Aggravatin` Papa
4. Beale Street Mama
5. Baby Won`t You Please Come Home
6. Oh Daddy Blues
7. `Tain`t Nobody`s Business If I Do
8. Keeps on Rainin`
9. Mama`s Got the Blues
10. Outside of That
11. Bleeding Hearted Blues
12. Lady Luck Blues 3
13. Yodelin` Blues 3
14. Midnight Blues 3
15. If You Don`t I Know Who Will
16. Nobody in Town Can Bake a Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine
17. Jail House Blues
18. St. Louis Gal 3
19. Sam Jones` Blues
20. Graveyard Dream Blues
21. Cemetery Blues
22. Far Away Blues
23. I`m Going Back to My Used to Be

DISC 2:

1. Whoa Tillie Take Your Time
2. My Sweetie Went Away
3. Any Woman`s Blues
4. Chicago Bound Blues
5. Mistreatin` Daddy
6. Frosty Mornin` Blues 4
7. Haunted House Blues
8. Eavesdroppers Blues
9. Easy Come Easy Go Blues
10. Pinchbacks - Take `Em Away
11. Rockin` Chair Blues
12. Ticket Agent Ease Your Window Down
13. Bo Weavil Blues
14. Hateful Blues
15. Frankie Blues
16. Moonshine Blues
17. Louisiana Low Down Blues
18. Mountain Top Blues
19. Work House Blues
20. House Rent Blues
21. Salt Water Blues
22. Rainy Weather Blues

DISC 3:

1. Weeping Willow Blues
2. Bye Bye Blues, The
3. Sing Sing Prison Blues
4. Follow the Deal on Down
5. Sinful Blues
6. Woman`s Trouble Blues
7. Love Me Daddy Blues
8. Dyin` Gambler
9. St. Louis Blues, The
10. Reckless Blues
11. Sobbin` Hearted Blues
12. Cold in Hand Blues
13. You`ve Been a Good Old Wagon
14. Cake Walkin` Babies From Home
15. Yellow Dog Blues 1, The
16. Soft Pedal 1
17. Dixie Flyer Blues
18. Nashville Women`s Blues 2
19. Careless Love 1
20. J.C. Holmes Blues
21. I Ain`t Going to Play Second Fiddle
22. He`s Gone Blues

DISC 4:

1. Nobody`s Blues But Mine
2. I Ain`t Got Nobody
3. My Man Blues
4. New Gulf Coast Blues
5. Florida Bound Blues
6. At the Christmas Ball
7. I`ve Been Mistreated and I Don`t Like It
8. Golden Rule Blues
9. Lonesome Desert Blues
10. Squeeze Me
11. Them Has Been Blues
12. Squeeze Me
13. What`s the Matter Now?
14. I Want Every Bit
15. Jazzbo Brown From Memphis Town
16. Gin House Blues, The
17. Money Blues
18. Baby Doll
19. Hard Drivin` Papa
20. Lost Your Head Blues
21. Hard Time

Album Information

Release Date:

03/13/2007

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Jazz Instrument

Subgenre:

Classic Jazz

Label:

JSP (UK)

Catalog Number:

929

Original Release Year:

2007

# of Discs:

4

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

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