Blackbottom

Ma Rainey | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Original Release Date: 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yazoo
• ASIN: B000000G86
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,583 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #19 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Vocal Blues
  • #77 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Traditional Blues

Track Listings

1. Oh Papa Blues

2. Black Eye Blues (Take 1)

3. 'Ma' Rainey's Black Bottom

4. Booze And Blues

5. Blues Oh Blues

6. Sleep Talking Blues (Take 1)

7. Lucky Rock Blues

8. Georgia Cake Walk

9. Don't Fish In My Sea

10. Stack O' Lee Blues

11. Shave 'Em Dry Blues

12. Yonder Come The Blues (Take 1)

13. Screech Owl Blues

14. Farewell Daddy Blues

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooray for Gertrude "Ma" Rainey's Black Bottom!!!, September 20, 2000

By 

roarin20sGuy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blackbottom (Audio CD)

Usually compilation CD's are not up to par, for collectors standards, however this is an excellent sampler of Gertrude "Ma" Rainey's finest sessions put out by surprisingly a US label Yazoo Records. Lovie Austin & Her Serenaders are featured here backing Rainey, as well as many other 20's jazz musicians. Ma Rainey was perhaphs the finest blues singer to emerge from the "blues craze" of the roarin' 20's. Rainey who was Bessie Smith's vocal coach, was singing the blues yaers before the 20's "blues craze," Rainey who was a popular vaudeville entertainer would always include blues numbers in her act long before, Mamie Smith started the 20's blues craze with "Crazy Blues." Rainey sings some blues and some popular jazz from the era like "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and "The Georgia Cakewalk." There is also a dirty blues "Shave Em' Dry." Some other classics are "Oh Papa", "Blues Oh Blues" and "Don't Fish In My Sea" are essential. Every song on this CD is a classic, making this set essential for beginners as well as the collector who will want all the goodies on one CD. Heck I already have her complete chronological series on the European Ducument label and I still recommend this gem.

Also if you already are a fan of Ma Rainey, go see a newer artist by the name of Big Mama Sue, who sings(and is very influenced by Ma Rainey) and plays washboard in the 20's blues and dixieland tradition, she's often at Dixieland Festivals, listen to her and find out where she's playing at Bigmamasue.com

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The cream of Ma Rainey's crop, July 28, 2003

By 

Docendo Discimus (Vita scholae) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blackbottom (Audio CD)

Gertrude 'Ma' Rainey was billed by her record company as the "Mother of the Blues" (something which pleased her greatly), and although there was blues and blues singers even before her, she was certainly one of the genres most important trailblazers.

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is a fine collection of 14 of Ma Rainey's best songs recorded between 1924 and 1928. She was a powerful and expressive singer, and she is backed here by various brass- and/or string bands (Kid Ory, Coleman Hawkins and Tom Dorsey being credited among the musicians).

The sound quality on these recordings, of which some are almost 80 years old, is surprisingly good, and among the highlights are "Shave 'Em Dry Blues", "Yonder Come The Blues" and the title track.
This is highly recommendable to anyone with an interest in early blues, or even jazz.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ma Rainey Should Sing Forever, May 24, 2003

By 

A. W. Bellais "Avid Reader" (Savannah, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blackbottom (Audio CD)

Here is a hot CD! Ma Rainey is recaptured in all her richness. What a great listening experience, especially for those who love to hear the African American sound the way it was! No wonder August Wilson found such a wonderful tapestry on which to draw his play -- the music on this CD wants to be heard again and again.