Search - Mamie Smith :: Complete Recorded Works 3

Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds...

roarin20sGuy | 09/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mamie Smith, aside from Ethel Waters, was the finest and 1st blues singer to emerge from the raorin' 20's blues craze, and since Smith(no relation to Bessie, Clara, or Trixie) sounded white and dicty on her sessions, was also a low down jazz singer who could cut loose with her jazz hounds which featured Coleman Hawkins, and stide pianist Jimmy Johnson(James P.), she attracted both blacks and whites of the era. Smith's recording career was actually very accidental, Smith a great vaudeville entertainer, was filling in for Sophie Tucker at the recording studio(due to Tucker's busy schedule), Tucker was a fan of Smith's and rcommended her to record producers. Smith recorded the songs Tucker was supposed to. The record producers liked Smith and had her record the 1st female vocal blues "Crazy Blues," which started the "20's blues craze" the rest is history. This CD the 3nd in the European label Document's series of complete Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds, is highly enjoyable, Smith sounds best on standards like "New Orleans" and "You've Got To See Mama Every Night." Also "The Mamie Smith Blues" is fun. An enjoyable and essential set of classic blues. also the Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds get a few instumetals, where they get to show off how "hot" of a Dixieland band they were, in fact the entire CD is more Dixieland oriented then blues, so this CD is recommended to classic blues and traditional/dixieland collectors."