Essential Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 1997)
• Original Release Date: September 23, 1997
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002ADO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,060 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #22 in Music > Blues > Traditional Blues
  • #23 in Music > Blues > Vocal Blues
  • #60 in Music > Jazz > Traditional Jazz & Ragtime > Traditional Jazz General

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

Sasha "lampic" (at sea...sailing somewhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Essential Bessie Smith (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 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars essential, October 9, 2004

By 

J. Brady (PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essential Bessie Smith (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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sugar in my bowl, January 6, 2006

By 

Shane (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Bessie Smith (Audio CD)

Bessie Smith had one of the most powerfull, expressive and recognizable voices of the 20th Century. Her talent as a vocalist in the studio, as well as her stage performance made her a star that changed the way of music forever. This collection of 36 Bessie's classic recordings is simply one of the best, and most comprehensive collections of her work. It is, as other reviewers said, surely missing a handful of records that could also be considered Essential, but this collection never-the-less, hits the spot for any casucal fan or even the most avid devourer of Bessie Smith's music. The 2 Disc set is Essential Bessie, and also, Essential - period.