Female Blues – The Remaining Titles Vol 2 (1938-1949)

The seven vocalists included on this selection of blues recordings from the 1930s and 1940s once again demonstrate the fluidity of the blues, presenting pop, jazz and R & B flavoured permutations among the more conventional blues outgoings and featuring performers whose careers stretch back as far as the 1920s and stretch forward to the 1960s. It’s all here; drugs, sex, violence, romance and jive from the ladies point of view and these girls pack a punch in every department. Bea Foote is away with the fairies as she extols the joys of smoking “Weeds, weeds, weeds all day long”. Perline Ellison vows “I’m a razor totin’ mama and I won’t be dogged around” and if that isn’t warning enough you had better watch out because she’s “gonna cut him square in the pants” Yee-owch!!! Ruby Smith was Jack Gee’s niece and Bessie Smith’s travelling companion. Her single recording presented here is her version of Bessie’s Back Water Blues. The classic anthem for jilted lovers, See, See Rider, is beautifully sung by singer-guitarist Wea Bee Booze and features a jazzy, bluesy, hard-rocking guitar solo with steel guitar accompaniment. As with the vast majority of the CDs featuring female blues singers in the Document Catalogue, this collection is given double strength by the inclusion of some excellent accompanists including Henry “Red” Allen, James P. Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Sam Price, Teddy Bunn, Memphis Slim and many more. Includes informative booklet notes by Steve Tracy and detailed discography.