Bessie Smith - St. Louis Blues (1925)

[stevevandien]

The information provided by edmundusrex never explicitly says that Armstrong was playing cornet here. That he was is a matter of recorded history. Ditto re. Fred Longshaw on harmonium.

[sirjuandabicho]

Bellísima grabación, muchas gracias por compartirla.

[peopleperson235]

Believe it or not, she framed artists like Beyonce and Alicia Keys

[AMADORMATEHUALA]

Louis Armstrong on trumpet.

Fond memories of Bessie!

[dtolbiac]

@AMADORMATEHUALA

On cornet !



[Maxine5509]

Ben Johnson of 100 monkeys brought me here.

[TheKoolaid30]

Fred Sanford brought me here.

[MsTWEEKIE]

So much emotion. This lady was phenomenal,gives me goose bumps.

[MrDrewlips]

ma rainey's black bottom

[ebonics4everyone]

Slavery was a sad thing. I can see why black folks had the blues back in the day.

[Rollich]

The greatest recording ever made. Thank you so much for uploading.

[mkworkman]

3:10 audio: "St. Louis Blues" is an American popular song composed by W. C. Handy in the blues style. Published in September 1914; this 1925 version with vocals by Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) and Louis Armstrong on cornet was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1993.

[pergentinomendes]

This is not just so good, it's the best St. Louis Blues ever. Bessie breathes the soul of blues and can make it sound just like it says. I love her. I like also her 1929 version, but this one is truer in some deeper sense. There is another version of this song that used to be my favorite 60 years ago, but is seems it disappeared from Earth: it"s St. Louis Blues with Armstrong and the Ink Spots. Has anybody else heard of it?

[123asd260]

hey man i need you to do something 4 me...

i want you to upload the song ''cemetery blues'' please

[kailuagirl87]

Beauty and Pain creates souuuuuul

[dlk008]

Wow. That's how it's done.

[jumpyourbone]

perfect

[marselus88]

amazing!

[GeminiNightOwl]

Brilliant - I have this on CD. What a tradgedy she died so young...

[libraspi]

Genius....the Muse was with all three of them at the same time!!!!

So much to hear I could listen all day...and the harmonium is perfect with the coronet and Bessie's incredible phrasing and power.

[MrPontiusPilate]

@libraspi

No it's not.

[JustinAZ420]

@MrPontiusPilate first time i ever heard it.. and you couldnt b so wrong

[joneedy]

Fred Longshaw lays his simple chords down like a man who knew he was in the presence of greatness. Bessie's moving blues voice backed by Armstrong's incomparable cornet. We shall not hear their like again.

[Urbino237]

@joneedy Spot on, and sad but true. How we could benefit from their collective musical gifts these days...a tonic for the soul.

[NandiniJT]

So glad to have found this recording of this song here! :) I agree with Urbino, years of hearing it do not diminish this recording, a piece that truly stands the test of time. Lovely and sublime!!

[Urbino237]

Louis was just 24 - unbelievable. What remarkable sensitivity to and mature respect for the composition. How can a 24 year-old do that?

By this time he had left King Oliver's band and joined Fletcher Henderson's (6 months before this recording date) - no doubt masterful influences both - but here Louis sounds like a horn player at least 20 years his senior, testament to his musical 'genius'.

After 45 years I have yet to tire of this recording - a sublimely restrained performance.

[GeminiNightOwl]

@Urbino237 I suppose the same way Bix Biederbeck played the coronet without reading notes at the same age and younger. Louis Armstrong said before he died "Now I'll be up there playing with Bix" and was a big fan. Some just have that genius...

[barrtok]

classic!

[heinbanjo12]

This is so classic. And Fred Longshaw on harmonium. He made 2 records and just 2 of the most beautifull in the jazz history. Armstrong cornet and the great Bessie Smith.

[edmundusrex]

Thank you for the infomation.

[DianeandDick]

@heinbanjo12 I agree completely. This is, easily, the finest rendition I've ever heard. Bessie could sing blues that almost hurt it was so good! And, Louis' accompaniment is just perfect. I do like some swing era versions (Glenn Miller, Benny). But, this is the top version, IMOP.