Before Robert Johnson, before Lead Belly, even before Bessie Smith, Gertrude “Ma” Rainey defined what it meant to sing the blues, belting out lusty, downhome songs with a charismatic force that comes through loud and clear today. A century after her landmark music, Mother of the Blues, The Complete Paramount Recordings 1923-1928 captures this powerhouse artist in all her glory with a five-CD, 118-track set that blows away the cobwebs, bringing these electrifying works into the present in irresistible fashion.
Born in 1882, Rainey was a touring performer who starred in tent shows and theaters, singing in a variety of styles, including minstrel songs and vaudeville material. For underdog Paramount Records, she was a blues artist whose sensual presence infused every note of her songs. While Paramount discs have a reputation for substandard sound quality, Mother of the Blues does a remarkable job of cleaning up the music without losing any of its earthy immediacy.
Among the highlights are songs that would inspire a diverse array of performers in decades to come, such as “See See Rider,” “Walking Blues” and “Stack O’ Lee Blues,” as well as a handful of previously unreleased takes. Numerous players who would emerge as major jazz and blues artists in their own right provide backing, including Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Tampa Red and Coleman Hawkins. There’s also a large-format, hundred-page book with a slew of information and photos.
Mother of the Blues is a remarkable document, but you don’t need to know any history to get the picture. Just listen and feel the heat.
