I began listening to this subgenre of the blues in early March 2023. Classic female blues highlights the blues scene in an urban setting. The genre was first recorded in the early 1920s (a few years before country blues) and was popular until the end of the 1920s when the Great Depression badly hurt the record industry. This genre's recordings, a few of which are now over 100 years old, are some of the earliest I have encountered. I was mostly underwhelmed by the genre, finding Ma Rainey, Mamie Smith, Ida Cox (whose The Uncrowned Queen of the Blues, a collection of twenty recordings from 1923-1924, I listened to but decided not to review), and even Bessie Smith to be rather dull. However, I was quite enthused by Lucille Bogan, whose singing is more personable and whose instrumental backing is more stripped back.
Lucille Bogan & Walter Roland: Lucille Bogan & Walter Roland (1927-1935) (1999): A-
Lucille Bogan: Shave 'Em Dry: The Best of Lucille Bogan (2004): A-
Ma Rainey: Ma Rainey (1992): B
Bessie Smith: The Collection (1998): B+
Mamie Smith: Crazy Blues: The Best of Mamie Smith (2004): B-
Lucille Bogan & Walter Roland: Lucille Bogan & Walter Roland (1927-1935) (1999):
With Rainey and Bessie Smith, Lucille Bogan is considered to be one of "the big three" of classic female blues. Like these other women, Bogan first began in the vaudeville genre. She started recording in 1923 with pianist Henry Callens. In 1927, she recorded her first big hit "Sweet Petunia," which is included here. By 1933, she was recording with frequent collaborator pianist Walter Roland. Because of their many recordings together, this compilation comprises of individual recordings from both. Although she is more often associated with classic female blues, with only a piano or guitar as accompaniment, Bogan's recordings frequently recall the power and style of country blues and thus it's no surprise that I enjoy her recordings more than the others of this subgenre. Meanwhile, Roland's piano and guitar pieces are no less enjoyable and he proves a versatile musician as well as competent vocalist. A-
Lucille Bogan: Shave 'Em Dry: The Best of Lucille Bogan (2004):
This properly expands upon the selection of Lucille Bogan & Walter Roland and offers a strong collection of one of the genre's most powerful stars. Once again, her favor for only a piano or guitar as backing keeps her boastful personality upfront and allows for downhome intimacy. Her lyrics also continue to impress. Although most classic female blues singers get attention for their lyrics of sexuality, none go as far as Bogan. It may not have been until the 1990s that commercial music ever got as downright explicit as the second take of "Shave 'Em Dry." A-
Ma Rainey: Ma Rainey (1992):
Rainey was touring as part of a vaudeville show when she heard a woman singing the blues and quickly added the song to her act. With the success of Mamie Smith's blues recordings in 1920, Rainey began recording in 1923 for Paramount, where she was advertised as the "Mother of the Blues." Despite her strong legacy, there are only a handful of compilations from Rainey on streaming platforms. This one misses quite a few of her biggest hits and it runs twenty-four songs long, which is pushing it for a genre not nearly as captivating as solo acoustic blues. Nevertheless, Rainey's bold lyrics do impress and make her a standout in the genre. B
Bessie Smith: The Collection (1998):
Smith began her career in the early 1900s as a street performer until 1912 when she passed an audition for a traveling troupe that included Ma Rainey. Only a year later, she established her own act. By 1923 when she was first recorded by Columbia Records, she was primed for recording. Like Rainey, she often sang of female independence and sexuality. Unlike Rainey, the recording quality of her earliest sides are much better. This compilation features her most well-known recordings in less than hour and Smith's talents can still be heard crystal clear. B+
Mamie Smith: Crazy Blues: The Best of Mamie Smith (2004):
Ma Rainey was probably singing the blues as early as 1901 but Mamie Smith was the first female vocalist to record the blues in August 1920 with her standout track "Crazy Blues." Although she has several other worthwhile songs, most of them come within the first ten songs of this twenty-five song compilation. Plus, the rough recording quality and a band with too much of a jazz lean make this a blues compilation that's not quite essential. B-
