Details
Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Down Hearted 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. Taint Nobody's Bizness If I Do
8. Keeps on a-Rainin'(Papa He Can't Make No Time)
9. Mama's Got the Blues
10. Outside of That
11. Bleeding Hearted Blues
12. Lady Luck Blues
13. Yodling Blues
14. Midnight Blues
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
19. Sam Jones Blues
DISC 2:
1. Graveyard Dream Blues
2. Cemetery Blues
3. Far Away Blues
4. I'm Going Back to My Used to Be
5. Whoa, Tillie, Take Your Time
6. My Sweetie Went Away
7. Any Woman's Blues
8. Chicago Bound Blues
9. Mistreating Daddy
10. Frosty Morning Blues
11. Haunted House Blues
12. Evesdropper's Blues
13. Easy Come, Easy Go Blues
14. Sorrowful Blues
15. Pinchbacks--Take 'Em Away
16. Rocking Chair Blues
17. Ticket Agent, Ease Your Window Down
18. Boweavil Blues
19. Hateful Blues
Album Notes
Personnel includes: Bessie Smith, Clara Smith (vocals); Harry Reser, John Griffin (guitar); Robert Robbins (violin); Don Redman (clarinet); Clarence Williams, Fletcher Henderson, Irving Johns, Jimmy Jones (piano).
Recorded in New York, New York in 1923 & 1924. Includes liner notes by Chris Albertson.
This is part of Columbia's Roots N' Blues series.
This five-box reissue, two CDs per box, is part of the same series as Columbia's complete reissue of the Robert Johnson recordings. Volume 1's extensive essay by Chris Albertson attempts to separate fact from fiction regarding Smith's childhood and early recording years. The booklet features numerous photographs of Smith's peers and associates, including singers like Ma Rainey and Mamie Smith, and pianist/accompanists Fletcher Henderson and Clarence Williams. Smith is presented as a featured vocalist throughout each recording. On the second disc, her ensemble is augmented by various obligatto soloists, including Don Redman on clarinet (who would continue to work with Henderson well into the 30s), Harry Reser on guitar, and Robert Robbins on violin. Disc two also includes two vocal duets with labelmate Clara Smith (no relation). The material is presented in chronological order, which facilitates understanding what material came out of a particular session or combination of accompanists. This collection is about going to the source--Smith was a huge influence on Billie Holiday and many other singers.
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