Search - Ida Cox :: Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 4, 1927-1938

Best ever blues singer?

kjoshua | London United Kingdom | 07/14/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bessie Smith may be a bigger name but there's an argument for saying that Ida Cox was the best. Her voice just seeps into you. The emotions she communicates as a singer come straight across. You're not listening to any museum piece here. This album has a lot of fine songs, but more than that it has an atmosphere - you feel like you're right there in America in the 20s or 30s. Eerie."

Ida, was arguably the greatest blues singer of the 20's...

aaron | 10/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ida Cox was arguably the best blues singer to have come out of the 1920's Blues Craze started by Mamie Smith with her Crazy Blues which started a trend, everybody started recording the blues from white vaudeville singers like Marion Harris to gifted singers who had been performing the blues for years like Ma Rainey. Then there were real talents like Bessie Smith, Sippie Wallace and Victoria Spivey who could sing with hot dance bands of the era, they were capable jazz singers as well as blues singers. However as many greats as there were Ida Cox could moan a low down blues, or swing with a hot jazz band, she often sang songs with controversial yet realistic lyrics like her own "One Hour Mama" and "Death Letter Blues" or her classic "Wild Women Just get The Blues" all her own compositions. Cox's voice sounds today as meaningful as it did in the 20's, her voice is powerful, yet limited in range, she moans her songs. Cox's music today, much like Annette Hanshaw's doesn't sound dated it sounds wonderful today, in fact it's so nice to hear a singer like Cox backed by top musicians from the jazz world. This CD Vol. 4(of 4 voulmes) is exellent with vol. 1 and eventually get all four. All of Cox's CD's are recomended. Also try her CD she did for riverside in the 60's with Coleman Hawkins."