Bessie Smith and the Night Riders

On a hot July day in 1927, the townsfolk of Concord, NC, gather to greet Bessie Smith, the most famous blues singer in America as she disembarks from her touring train. Emmarene Johnson, a youngster who longs to attend the evening's tent show by Bessie Smith and her Harlem Frolics, can't afford a ticket and must be content with peeking through the tent flaps for a look at her idol. From this vantage point, she notices Ku Klux Klan members removing the tent stakes and alerts the singer to the danger. Based on a true story with embellishments for younger readers, Sue Stauffacher shows how the courage of one person can save the lives of many. Adapted for Brooklyn Blowback by David Kay, MLS

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Picture
• book
• about
• Bessie
• Smith
• blues
• singer

[RichardPears]

Wow, what a lovely book; thank you for sharing.

I loved the first song in the background 'It's All Over', it went really well with the book. Nina is a sensation but Bessie is the best of the best.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful; lovely. X

[ChrisAlbertson]

You should have had Bessie singing in the background—well, if it had to be Nina, why not one of her recordings of a Bessie Smith song?

Don't mind me, I love Bessie and the fact that you did this.

[KojiRecords]

The Nina Simone song at 7:30 is her version of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You," which is also the title of Nina's autobiography. Nina did an excellent version of Bessie Smith's "I Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl" from her RCA Records debut, "Mina Simone Sings The Blues." Nina was more musically closer to her idol, Billie Holiday, but could sing the blues just as strong as any bluesman/woman of the day. Bessie and Nina live on 4-ever...

[rougemere]

IT IS CON..... Like a con....and cord like cable cords. CON-CORD~!!!!!

[bdewachter]

First I guess is called "It's all over now", the second and last is "I put a spell on you". I hear at the end that the maker does know he's been playing Nina..

[mughalz73]

what is tha name of that song do you know?

[bdewachter]

I hope you realise Nina is singing on the background???

[lonelygurl8305]

Wow...nice book! Who wrote this?