Ladies Sing The Blues

 

I picked up a copy of Mojo recently where the Rolling Stones were the main feature 

The magazine notes that the Stones covered Robert Johnson's Love in Vain on Let it Bleed in 1969 which was 31 years after his death. This in turn led to the cover CD featuring this song along with14 other country blues numbers.

I am going to focus on the ladies today as they are often overlooked when it comes to the Blues. Indeed in The Blues Collection I think that only Bessie Smith and Koko Taylor feature in their own right  along with a compilation of Blues Women.

To start with we are going back nearly a century with Rolling Log Blues by Lottie Kimburgh (no relation to Junior Kimburgh). She also sung under the name the Kansas City Butterball. This song was covered by Buffy Sainte- Marie in 1966.

Mattie Delaney's Tallahatchie River Blues from 1930 is a song about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and is one of the only two songs that she was known to have recorded.

We finish with a double act namely Ruby Glaze and Hot Shot Willie. The true identity of Ruby Glaze is not certain but she is widely believed to be Katie McTell who at was the wife of Blind Willie McTell who is also Hot Shot Willie. Kate McTell sung with her husband before subsequently becoming a nurse.

Be grateful that I have spared you Julius King with I Want a Slice of Your Puddin'

Lottie Kimbrough - Rolling Log Blues

Mattie Delaney - Tallahatchie River Blues

Ruby Glaze & Hot Shot Willie - Lonesome Day Blues