Bessie Smith - Empress Of The Blues 1923 - 1933

Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer.

Nicknamed The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and, along with Louis Armstrong, a major influence on other jazz vocalists.


"Empress of the Blues: 1923-1933" is a respectable, budget-priced collection of Bessie Smith's best material from her most potent period. It contains 21 tracks of piano-based blues from an era when the music was just coming out of brothels and saloons and on to the American (and European) stages. Notable tracks on this set include "Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do" and  "St. Louis Blues".

Bessie Smith - Empress Of The Blues 1923 - 1933
(256 kbps, front cover included)