Bessie Smith: selected recordings 1927-1933

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1927

Back-Water Blues (Bessie Smith) – (the provider has the title wrong) — recorded 17 February 1927 – Bessie Smith (v) James P. Johnson (p)

Muddy Water (A Mississippi Moan) (Peter DeRose / Harry Richman / Jo Trent) – recorded twice on 2 March 1927 by Bessie Smith and her Band

Buster Bailey: Clarinet
Charlie Dixon: Banjo
Coleman Hawkins: Tenor Saxophone
Bob Fuller Clarinet: Alto Saxophone
Jimmy Harrison: Trombone
Joseph Meyer: Piano
Fletcher Henderson: Piano
Bessie Smith: Vocals
Joe Smith: Cornet
Elmer Snowden: Banjo

Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair (George Brooks) – recorded 3 March 1927 – Bessie Smith and Her Blue Boys — Charlie Green, trombone; Fletcher Henderson, piano; Fred Longshaw, piano;
Bessie Smith, vocal

Alexander’s Ragtime Band (Irving Berlin) – recorded 2 March 1927 – Bessie Smith and Her Blue Boys

Bessie Smith (vocal)
Joe Smith (cornet)
Jimmy Harrison (tb)
Coleman Hawkins (clarinet)
Fletcher Henderson (piano)
Charlie Dixon (banjo)

After You’ve Gone (Henry Creamer / J. Turner Layton) 2 March 1927 – Bessie Smith and Her Band. The list of musician identified as part of this band is a long one. I don’t know how many of these performed on this recording. It may have been limited to the six given by the provider as the players on Alexander’s Ragtime Band (see above) recorded on the same date.

Buster Bailey (clarinet)
Charlie Dixon (banjo)
Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone)
Bob Fuller Clarinet (alto saxophone)
Jimmy Harrison (trombone)
Joseph Meyer (piano)
Fletcher Henderson (piano)
Bessie Smith (vocals)
Joe Smith (cornet)
Elmer Snowden (banjo)

A Good Man is Hard to Find (w.m. Eddie Green) 1918 song — recorded by Bessie Smith 27 September 1927

Dyin’ By the Hour (George Brooks) – recorded 27 October 1927 — Bessie Smith (vocal),
Tommy Ladnier (cornet), Fletcher Henderson (piano), June Cole (tu)

1928

Empty Bed Blues, Part 2 (J. C. Johnson) – recorded 20 March 1928 with says the provider backing by “her favourite trombone player, Charlie Green, and Porter Grainger on piano.”

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To the milkman I heard Mary scream
Said she wanted lots of cream
You gotta give me some, oh give me some

1929

You Gotta Give Me Some (Spencer Williams) – title given at redhotjazz as You Gotta Get Me Some – recorded 8 May 1929 — Bessie Smith (v), Clarence Williams (p), Eddie Lang (Guitar)

1931

Shipwreck Blues (Bessie Smith) – recorded 11 June 1931

1933

Do Your Duty (Wesley Wilson) – Bessie Smith accompanied by Buck and his Band – 24 November 1933

Chu Berry, ts
Benny Goodman, cl
Bobby Johnson, g
Frank Newton, cor
Bessie Smith, vo
Billy Taylor, b
Jack Teagarden, tbn
Buck Washington, p and session leader