2025 Charity Shop Purchases # 49 - Bessie Smith - Empress of the Blues
I already have a couple of Bessie Smith compilations - one as part of The Blues Collection (where she is the first woman to appear) and The Ultimate Collection subtitled The Empress of the Blues.
There are obviously some doublers in the 16 track cheap and cheerful Empress of the Blues as part of the Classic Blues series on CharlyRecords from1992 but enough new ones to justify adding this to the shelves
Her recordings took place between 1923 and 1933 and it is astonishing to think that some are therefore over a 100 years old. There is a wonderful biography by Scottish poet Jackie Smith which is a terrific read. This piece from the National Museum of African American History of Culture is also well worth a read before Trump inevitably gets around to shuting it down.
Bessie Smith - Downhearted Blues
Bessie Smith - I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle
Bessie Smith - Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
I meant to get the Jackie Smith book when you first recommended it but then forgot. Will try to do better this time.
ReplyDeleteBetter than Madison thingies, but none of these three will be on the Download series
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