Mother of the Blues

by Ma Rainey

Mother of the Blues cover art
  • Type: Compilation
  • Released: 1 January 1965
  • Label: Fontana
  • Country: United States
  • Community rating: 4.35/5 from 1 rating

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Issued in the Netherlands, this compilation gathers sides Gertrude 'Ma' Rainey cut for Paramount between 1923 and 1928, the sessions that made her the first great recorded blues singer. Her accompanists across those years included Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins and Fletcher Henderson, and her prot茅g茅e Bessie Smith carried the style she codified to a still larger audience.

Genres

Descriptors: bluesy, soulful, theatrical, vocal, female-vocals

Tracklist

  1. Mountain Jack Blues
  2. Broken Hearted Blues
  3. Down In The Basement
  4. Thrust No Man
  5. Morning Hour Blues
  6. Blues, Oh Blues
  7. Oh Papa Blues
  8. Black Cat, Hoot Owl Blues
  9. Hear Me Talking To You
  10. Prove It On Me Blues
  11. Victim Of The Blues
  12. Sleep Talking Blues
  13. Runaway Blues
  14. Leaving This Morning

Credits

  • Ma Rainey - primary artist, vocals
  • Nick Perls - lacquer cut by
  • Unknown Artist - banjo, banjo, jug, kazoo [possible second kazoo]
  • Cedric Odom - drums [probably]
  • Lil Henderson - piano [probably]
  • Stump Evans - soprano saxophone [probably], alto saxophone [probably]
  • Albert Wynn - trombone [probably]
  • Tom Brown - clarinet, alto saxophone
  • Orrin Keepnews - producer [album produced by], sleeve notes
  • Ray Hagerty - transferred by [re-recorded], mastered by
  • Rhea Atkins - design [album designed by]
  • John Steiner - reissue producer [reissued by arrangement with]

More from Ma Rainey: full discography