Bessie Smith
Friday 13 April 2007 22:30-23:30 (Radio 3)
Alyn Shipton offers guidance to building a jazz library.This programme concentrates on the talents of blues singer Bessie Smith, who died at the tragically early age of 43.
Recommendation:
Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal (Properbox 78)
Playlist
DISC 1
Title Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Cox
Album I've Got What It Takes
Label Naxos Number 8.120732 Track 5
Personnel: Bessie Smith, v; Ed Allen, cnt; Garvin Bushell, as; Greely Walton, ts; Clarence Williams, p; Cyrus St Clair, tu; 15 May 1929
DISC 2
Title Downhearted Blues
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Hunter / Austin
Album Bessie Smith Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 1 Track 1
Personnel: Bessie Smith, v; Clarence Williams p; 16 Feb 1923.
DISC 3
Title New Orleans Hop Scop Blues
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Thomas
Album I've Got What It Takes (Bessie Smith Vol. 5)
Label Naxos Number 8.120732 Track 8
Personnel: Louis Metcalfe, t; Charlie Green, tb; Garvin Bushell, cl/as; Clarence Williams, p. 27 March 1930
DISC 4
Title On Revival Day
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Razaf
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 4 Track 16
Personnel: Bessie Smith, v; James P. Johnson, p; The Bessamer Singers Rec: 9 June 1930
DISC 5
Title Bleeding Heart Blues
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Austin
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 1 Track 6
Personnel: Bessie Smith, v; Fletcher Henderson p. 14 June 1923
DISC 6
Title Rainy Weather Blues
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Brooks
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 1 Track 15
Personnel: Bessie Smith v; Fletcher Henderson, piano; Charlie Green, trombone. 8 Aug 24.
DISC 7
Title Careless Love Blues
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Handy, Williams, Koenig.
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 2 Track 5
Personnel: Bessie Smith V; Louis Armstrong, cnt; Charlie Green, tb; Fred Longshaw p; 26 May 25.
DISC 8
Title Cold In Hand Blues
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Gee, Longshaw
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 1Track 23
DISC 9
Title Backwater Blues
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Smith
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 3 Track 6
Personnel: Bessie Smith v; James P Johnson, p.
DISC 10
Title It Makes My Love Come Down
Artist Bessie Smith
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 4 Track 10
Personnel: Bessie Smith v; James P Johnson, p.
DISC 11
Title I'm wild about that thing
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Williams
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 4 Track 5
Personnel; Bessie Smith v; Eddie Lang, g; Clarence Williams p. 8 May 29
DISC 12
Title Young Woman's Blues
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Smith
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 3 Track 4
Personnel: Joe Smith cnt; Buster Bailey cl; Fletcher Henderson p. 26 Oct 26
DISC 13
Title Gimme a Pigfoot
Artist Bessie Smith
Composer Wilson
Album Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal
Label Proper Number Properbox 78 CD 4 Track 22
Personnel: Frankie Newton,. t; Jack Teagarden, tb; Benny Goodman, cl; Chu Berry, ts; Buck Washington, p; Bobby Johnson g; Billy Taylor, b. 23 Nov 33.
Recommendation: Bessie Smith: Chattanooga Gal (Properbox 78)
Read Alyn Shipton's Bessie Smith profile at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/profiles/bessie_smith.shtml
Email the programme at jazzlibrary@bbc.co.uk
