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In the 1970s, Bessie Smith's recordings were reissued on five double LPs. Her CD reissue series also has five volumes (the first four are double-CD sets) with the main difference being that the final volume includes all of her rare alternate takes (which were bypassed on LP). The first set (which, as with all of the CD volumes, is housed in an oversize box that includes an informative booklet) contains her first 38 recordings. During this early era, Bessie Smith had no competitors on record and she was one of the few vocalists who could overcome the primitive recording techniques; her power really comes through. Her very first recording (Alberta Hunter's "Down Hearted Blues") was a big hit and is one of the highlights of this set along with "'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" (two decades before Billie Holiday), "Jail-House Blues," and "Ticket Agent, Ease Your Window Down." Smith's accompaniment is nothing that special (usually just a pianist and maybe a weak horn or two), but she dominates the music anyway, even on two vocal duets with her rival Clara Smith. All of these volumes reward close listenings and are full of timeless recordings.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - L. Austin, Composer - L. Austin, Lyricist - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer - A. HUNTER, Lyricist - A. HUNTER, Composer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - C. Williams, Lyricist - C. Williams, Composer - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
A. Britt, Composer - A. Britt, Lyricist - J.R. Robinson, Composer - J.R. Robinson, Lyricist - Ernest Elliot, Clarinet - David Miston, Mastering Engineer - Buddy Christian, Banjo - Lawrence Cohn, Producer - Clarence Williams, Piano - R. Turk, Composer - R. Turk, Lyricist - Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - J.R. Robinson, Composer - J.R. Robinson, Lyricist - Ernest Elliot, Clarinet - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer - Buddy Christian, Banjo - R. Turk, Composer - R. Turk, Lyricist
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Lawrence Cohn, Producer - C. Warfield, Composer - C. Warfield, Lyricist - C. Williams, Lyricist - C. Williams, Composer - Clarence Williams, Piano - David Miston, Mastering Engineer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - E. HERBERT, Composer - E. HERBERT, Lyricist - Clarence Williams, Piano - W. Russell, Composer - W. Russell, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - E. Robbins, Composer - E. Robbins, Lyricist - P. Grainger, Composer - P. Grainger, Lyricist - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - S. Williams, Composer - S. Williams, Lyricist - Clarence Williams, Piano - M. Kortlander, Composer - M. Kortlander, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Performer - Sarah Martin, Composer - Sarah Martin, Lyricist - Clarence Williams, Composer - Clarence Williams, Lyricist
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - C. Williams, Lyricist - C. Williams, Composer - Clarence Williams, Piano - J.H. Trent, Composer - J.H. Trent, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - L. Austin, Composer - L. Austin, Lyricist - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - W. Weber, Composer - W. Weber, Lyricist - C. Williams, Lyricist - C. Williams, Composer - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - C. Williams, Lyricist - C. Williams, Composer - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer - A. HILL, Lyricist - A. HILL, Composer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - S. Williams, Composer - S. Williams, Lyricist - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer - B. Thompson, Composer - B. Thompson, Lyricist
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - C. Williams, Lyricist - C. Williams, Composer - Clarence Williams, Piano - C. Smith, Composer - C. Smith, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - T. Brymn, Composer - T. Brymn, Lyricist
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - S. Williams, Composer - S. Williams, Lyricist - C. Williams, Lyricist - C. Williams, Composer - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Composer - Bessie Smith, Lyricist - Bessie Smith, Performer - Lawrence Cohn, Producer - Clarence Williams, Composer - Clarence Williams, Lyricist - Irving Johns, Piano - David Miston, Mastering Engineer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - J.R. Robinson, Composer - J.R. Robinson, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - Jimmy Jones, Piano
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - A. Bernard, Composer - A. Bernard, Lyricist - J.R. Robinson, Composer - J.R. Robinson, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - Irving Johns, Piano - R. Turk, Composer - R. Turk, Lyricist
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
DISC 2
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Lawrence Cohn, Producer - Jimmy Jones, Piano - David Miston, Mastering Engineer - Ida Cox, Composer - Ida Cox, Lyricist
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - S. Williams, Composer - S. Williams, Lyricist - S. Laney, Composer - S. Laney, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - Jimmy Jones, Piano
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Fletcher Henderson, Piano - CLARA SMITH, Vocal - Unknown, Producer - G. Brooks, Composer - G. Brooks, Lyricist
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - CLARA SMITH, Vocal - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer - J. Cox, Composer - J. Cox, Lyricist
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
George Baquet, Piano - Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - H. Creamer, Composer - H. Creamer, Lyricist - Ernest Elliot, Clarinet - T. Layton, Composer - T. Layton, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - Jimmy Jones, Piano
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
George Baquet, Clarinet - Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - L. Handman, Composer - L. Handman, Lyricist - Ernest Elliot, Clarinet - Unknown, Producer - Jimmy Jones, Piano - R. Turk, Composer - R. Turk, Lyricist
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Fletcher Henderson, Piano - L. Austin, Composer - L. Austin, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Fletcher Henderson, Piano - L. Austin, Composer - L. Austin, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - Don Redman, Clarinet
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Fletcher Henderson, Piano - P. Grainger, Composer - P. Grainger, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - B. Ricketts, Composer - B. Ricketts, Lyricist - Don Redman, Clarinet
Originally released 1923. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Harry Reser, Guitar - Unknown, Producer - E. Brown, Composer - E. Brown, Lyricist - Jimmy Jones, Piano
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Fletcher Henderson, Piano - Unknown, Producer - J.C. Johnson, Composer - J.C. Johnson, Lyricist - Don Redman, Clarinet
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Fletcher Henderson, Piano - Unknown, Producer - J.C. Johnson, Composer - J.C. Johnson, Lyricist - Don Redman, Clarinet
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
W. Jackson, Composer - W. Jackson, Lyricist - Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Harry Reser, Guitar - Unknown, Producer - E. Brown, Composer - E. Brown, Lyricist - Jimmy Jones, Piano
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Robert Robbins, Violin - Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Bessie Smith, Composer - Bessie Smith, Lyricist - I. Johns, Composer - I. Johns, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - John Griffin, Guitar
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Bessie Smith, Composer - Bessie Smith, Lyricist - I. Johns, Composer - I. Johns, Lyricist - Clarence Williams, Piano - Unknown, Producer
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Robert Robbins, Violin - Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Bessie Smith, Composer - Bessie Smith, Lyricist - I. Johns, Composer - I. Johns, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - Irving Johns, Piano
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Robert Robbins, Violin - Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Lawrence Cohn, Producer - C. Williams, Lyricist - C. Williams, Composer - Irving Jones, Piano - David Miston, Mastering Engineer
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Robert Robbins, Violin - Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - Lawrence Cohn, Producer - G. Rainey, Composer - G. Rainey, Lyricist - L. Austin, Composer - L. Austin, Lyricist - Irving Johns, Piano - David Miston, Mastering Engineer
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Robert Robbins, Violin - Bessie Smith, Vocal - Bessie Smith, Performer - E. Johnson, Composer - E. Johnson, Lyricist - Unknown, Producer - Irving Johns, Piano
Originally released 1924. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Albumbeschreibung
In the 1970s, Bessie Smith's recordings were reissued on five double LPs. Her CD reissue series also has five volumes (the first four are double-CD sets) with the main difference being that the final volume includes all of her rare alternate takes (which were bypassed on LP). The first set (which, as with all of the CD volumes, is housed in an oversize box that includes an informative booklet) contains her first 38 recordings. During this early era, Bessie Smith had no competitors on record and she was one of the few vocalists who could overcome the primitive recording techniques; her power really comes through. Her very first recording (Alberta Hunter's "Down Hearted Blues") was a big hit and is one of the highlights of this set along with "'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" (two decades before Billie Holiday), "Jail-House Blues," and "Ticket Agent, Ease Your Window Down." Smith's accompaniment is nothing that special (usually just a pianist and maybe a weak horn or two), but she dominates the music anyway, even on two vocal duets with her rival Clara Smith. All of these volumes reward close listenings and are full of timeless recordings.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 38 track(s)
- Total length: 02:01:39
- Main artists: Bessie Smith
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Legacy - Columbia
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
(P) 1991 Sony Music Entertainment
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