Empty Bed Blues - Part 1 / Empty Bed Blues - Part 2

by Bessie Smith

Empty Bed Blues - Part 1 / Empty Bed Blues - Part 2 cover art
  • Type: Single
  • Released: May 1928
  • Label: Columbia
  • Country: United States
  • Community rating: 3.71/5 from 2 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Spread across two sides of a 78-rpm disc, this masterful performance allows the vocalist unparalleled space to explore the emotional depths of the lyric. The sparse accompaniment features remarkably sensitive, conversational trombone fills that intertwine flawlessly with the singer's massive, resonant phrasing. It is universally cited as one of the absolute peaks of the classic female blues era.

Genres

Descriptors: Vocal, acoustic

Tracklist

  1. Empty Bed Blues - Part 1 (3:00)
  2. Empty Bed Blues - Part 2 (6:22)

Credits

  • Bessie Smith - primary artist, vocals
  • Porter Grainger - piano [uncredited]
  • Charlie Green - trombone [uncredited]
  • J.C. Johnson - written-by

More from Bessie Smith: full discography