Customer Reviews

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

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Gertrude 'Ma' Rainey was billed by her record company as the "Mother of the Blues" (something which pleased her greatly), and although there was blues and blues singers even before her, she was certainly one of the genres most important trailblazers.

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is a fine collection of 14 of Ma Rainey's best songs recorded between 1924 and 1928. She was a powerful and expressive singer, and she is backed here by various brass- and/or string bands (Kid Ory, Coleman Hawkins and Tom Dorsey being credited among the musicians).

The sound quality on these recordings, of which some are almost 80 years old, is surprisingly good, and among the highlights are "Shave 'Em Dry Blues", "Yonder Come The Blues" and the title track.
This is highly recommendable to anyone with an interest in early blues, or even jazz.

Here is a hot CD! Ma Rainey is recaptured in all her richness. What a great listening experience, especially for those who love to hear the African American sound the way it was! No wonder August Wilson found such a wonderful tapestry on which to draw his play -- the music on this CD wants to be heard again and again.

Gertrude Malissa Pridgett, born in 1886, was THE pioneer blues belter, taking the stage name Ma Rainey following her marriage to vaudevillian William "Pa" Rainey. Everyone who followed - from Bessie Smith on down - owed their success to her paving the way.

Her life [she died on December 22, 1939 at age 53] inspired the 1985 Broadway musical "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" - currently being revived with Whoopi Goldberg in the starring role.

If there's a fault with this 1990 CD from Yazoo Records it's the lack of liner notes and the omission of her one popular charted hit, the immortal, classic See See Rider Blues [# 14 in February 1925] which she did for the Paramount label with Louis Armstrong on coronet and Fletcher Henderson at the piano.

According to the insert, liner notes are credited to Stephen Calt but, rather than providing any background information on Ma Rainey, these are confined to merely a listing of some of the musicians who accompanied her on each track. Immortals in their own right, these include Henderson, guitarist Tampa Red, Kid Ory on trombone, Charlie Dixon on banjo, drummer Kaiser Marshall, and clarinetist Artie Starks.

Given today's technology and computer ability to eliminate the old crackle, hiss and pop, we should soon see more of Ma Rainey's "cleaned up" hits re-released [along with others of that era]. I can't wait. In the meantime, this is how your grandparents or great-grandparents would have heard them

Ma Rainey was a classic blues singer, whose many songs are over 70 years old, but still highly beautiful and entertaining. This collection shows it all. If you are just starting to listen to the blues, I recommend you to get this!

Usually compilation CD's are not up to par, for collectors standards, however this is an excellent sampler of Gertrude "Ma" Rainey's finest sessions put out by surprisingly a US label Yazoo Records. Lovie Austin & Her Serenaders are featured here backing Rainey, as well as many other 20's jazz musicians. Ma Rainey was perhaphs the finest blues singer to emerge from the "blues craze" of the roarin' 20's. Rainey who was Bessie Smith's vocal coach, was singing the blues yaers before the 20's "blues craze," Rainey who was a popular vaudeville entertainer would always include blues numbers in her act long before, Mamie Smith started the 20's blues craze with "Crazy Blues." Rainey sings some blues and some popular jazz from the era like "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and "The Georgia Cakewalk." There is also a dirty blues "Shave Em' Dry." Some other classics are "Oh Papa", "Blues Oh Blues" and "Don't Fish In My Sea" are essential. Every song on this CD is a classic, making this set essential for beginners as well as the collector who will want all the goodies on one CD. Heck I already have her complete chronological series on the European Ducument label and I still recommend this gem.

Also if you already are a fan of Ma Rainey, go see a newer artist by the name of Big Mama Sue, who sings(and is very influenced by Ma Rainey) and plays washboard in the 20's blues and dixieland tradition, she's often at Dixieland Festivals, listen to her and find out where she's playing at Bigmamasue.com

"Ma" Rainey was the Queen of all blues shouters, she was the one who influenced Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday. Her voice stands the test of time, she wasn't just a blues shouter she started as a vaudevillian, and could sing Dixieland music, ehich she often did with Lovie Austin's Dixieland band known as Lovie Austin & Her Serenaders. This CD is essential for classic jazz, blues, and Dixieland fans. Also visit 20's Dixieland style vocalist/washboard player Big Mama Sue's website(big Mama Sue is heavily influenced by "Ma" Rainey) at bigmamasue.com and see Big Mama Sue and Fast Eddie(her banjo player) at the next Dixieland Festival in you're area.

Gertrude "Ma" Rainey was the finest of the blues shouters, she influenced Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and countless others. Rainey has a highly appealing voice, which jazz and blues collectors should really enjoy. This CD compilation "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is a good place to start, it gives the listener a nice cross section of Rainey's blues, however the more serious collectors will want to get her complete series on the Document label.