The Essential Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith

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The Amazing Travels of an Empress

There's no such thing as too much Bessie Smith. However, should you require an abbreviated tour of the earth-rattling vocal power and zillion-watt personality of the "Empress"—the first true superstar of the blues—begin with four selections from this two-disc career overview. Start with "Graveyard Dream Blues," one of the many death-haunted tunes in her repertoire; it shows how, without abandoning her feminine grace, Smith caught the woeful grittiness of male blues singers who outnumbered her on the tent-show circuit of the 1920s. (Smith, who, as legend has it, was tutored by the great Ma Rainey, learned to sing in those revues; they often lacked amplification, and as a result she was forced to develop the commanding vocal presence that became her calling card.)

Then cue up "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl," recorded in 1931 with pianist Clarence Williams, to hear Smith's salacious side, the way she managed explicit talk about sex entirely through coy and playful double entendre. After that, seek out "On Revival Day" to hear her blend the blues, entertainment, and spirituality into a fervent sound that influenced generations of performers from Sister Rosetta Tharpe (see p. 771) to Aretha Franklin (see p. 288). Finally, check out one of the many songs that takes Smith away from blues form, like the version of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" featuring pianist Fletcher Henderson (see p. 354) or one of her last recordings, "Do Your Duty," an attempt to change her style to appeal to fans of swing. Both prove that as persuasive as she was singing blues, Smith had great jazz timing and an ear for sweet melody. She could make the most challenging stuff seem effortless.

Considering that Smith recorded more than 160 songs during her career, such a small sampling can hardly do her legacy justice. Still, these tracks should get you hooked on this extraordinary performer, whose spirit illuminates much subsequent blues singing. Smith was also a resilient woman: By age nine, she'd lost both her mother and father and soon after began performing for spare change outside nightclubs in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Smith zoomed from bit player in tent shows to a full-blown star who traveled by private train car, and fell just as quickly. She died from injuries suffered in a car accident in 1937, shortly after being invited to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of John Hammond's Spirituals to Swing concert (see p. 811), leaving future generations to wonder what might have happened if the Empress had gotten a second act.

Genre: Blues
Released: 1997, Columbia
Key Tracks: "Jail-House Blues," "St. Louis Blues," "On Revival Day"
Next Stop: Lucille Bogan: Shave 'Em Dry: The Best of Lucille Bogan
After That: Alberta Hunter: Amtrak Blues
Book Pages: 715–716

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