Essential Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002ADO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,182 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #52 in Music > Blues > Vocal Blues

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Bessie Smith was crowned the Empress of the Blues, and, while this moniker was well deserved, she was much more. A prolific recording artist, Smith was quite an eclectic performer. In fact, she may have been one of the first true crossover artists. This neat two-disc set gives the listener a good sampling of her wide repertoire. Smith is backed up by some of the best jazz musicians of her era. Her rendition of "St Louis Blues" for example, features the horn work of a young Louis Armstrong. Smith was not above doing such suggestive material as "Kitchen Man" or "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl" and could breath new life into a pop chestnut like "Alexander's Ragtime Band." And when Smith sang "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," she knew what she was talking about. The title of this album says it all. --Lars Gandil

Product Description

Now that Sony's reissued Bessie's complete recordings, they've gone back and pulled out three dozen of her most notable sides for this 2-CD set! Includes St. Louis Blues; Baby Won't You Please Come Home; Alexander's Ragtime Band; A Good Man Is Hard to Find; Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out , and more digitally remastered classics from the Empress of the Blues.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Some essential songs are missing! November 21, 1999

By Sasha VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Whoever decided to make this compilation, for some reason has left some of the most important Bessie Smith songs out!How can this be essential without her first hit "Downhearted blues" and such a gems as "Empty Bed Blues" or "My Sweetie Went Away"? Sound strange, but single CD titled "Colection" offers much better overview of her career than this double, 36 track collection! If you still want to purchase this, what remained in this CD are beautiful and moving songs recorded between 1923 and 1933, all of them glowing with Bessie Smith passion.The liner notes are written by her biographer Chris Albertson who find interesting comparation between her and todays rappers (mentality, not music wise!).To understand her art, its neccesary to listen great Ma Rainey who started singing the blues first and even teach young Bessie some tricks.While Ma Rainey style was more country blues (she had a raugh voice, highly emotional but not pretty as Bessie), Bessie was more concentrated on city audience and if death didnt stop her in a car crash, she would probably continued to work in swing era.Her passion is very similar to one of Mahalia Jackson and Im sure that Im not the only one who feels that blues and gospel are very close not only in music but in emotional involment as well - to feel both types of music listener has to feel something inside.There are two great albums recorded as tribute to Bessie Smith, by Dinah Washington and LaVern Baker, both highly reccomended - I heard them first and then wanted to hear the originals, but you may try the other way around!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars essential October 9, 2004

By J. Brady

Format:Audio CD

The title says it all. If you have only one Bessie Smith cd in your collection ( and we all need AT LEAST one - she is THAT influential, THAT soulful, THAT powerful a performer ) then this is it. It covers all sorts of songs, from interpretations of standards , to racy ( for their time ) innuendo-filled blues numbers, to love songs. A warning - these songs were recorded in the twenties and thirties, and all have that far-away, tinny sound to them, as if Smith were singing down a cardboard tube directly onto record. Even though the sound is admittedly dated, the power of the performances is undeniable.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A TRUE EMPRESS May 27, 2004

By Jonathan Stroud

Format:Audio CD

This album is a good foundation for anyone who is falling under the "Bessie Smith" spell. All of the songs display a different aspect of her true style. From spiritual, to coy, to soulfull... Bessie is a true Diva!!!