Bessie Smith, the Empress of the Blues, was born on April 15, 1894.
Tonight we'll hear some of Bessie's original 'twenties recordings and recreations by LaVern Baker [1958], Dinah Washington [1958], Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan [1980] and Amina Claudine Myers [1980].
| Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out Bessie Smith - Complete Recordings - Columbia |
| Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - Trouble In Mind - SteepleChase |
| Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out LaVerne Baker - Sings Bessie Smith - Collectables |
| Backwater Blues Bessie Smith - Complete Recordings - Columbia |
| Backwater Blues Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - Trouble In Mind - SteepleChase |
| Backwater Blues LaVerne Baker - Sings Bessie Smith - Collectables |
| Backwater Blues Dinah Washington - Sings Bessie Smith - Verve |
| Como Fue Jane Bunnett - and the Cuban Piano Masters - World Pacific 
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| Fu Bu Frank Kimbrough - Lullabluebye - Palmetto |
| Careless Love Bessie Smith - Complete Recordings - Columbia |
| Careless Love Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - Trouble In Mind - SteepleChase |
| Careless Love Dinah Washington - Sings Bessie Smith - Verve |
| Jailhouse Blues Bessie Smith - Complete Recordings - Columbia |
| Jailhouse Blues Amina Claudine Myers - Salutes Bessie Smith - Leo |
| Jailhouse Blues Dinah Washington - Sings Bessie Smith - Verve |
| After You've Gone Bessie Smith - Complete Recordings - Columbia |
| After You've Gone LaVerne Baker - Sings Bessie Smith - Collectables |
| After You've Gone Dinah Washington - Sings Bessie Smith - Verve |
| Gimme A Pigfoot LaVerne Baker - Sings Bessie Smith - Collectables |
| Empty Bed blues LaVerne Baker - Sings Bessie Smith - Collectables |
| Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair Dinah Washington - Sings Bessie Smith - Verve |
| Trouble In Mind Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - Trouble In Mind - SteepleChase |
| Wasted Life Blues Amina Claudine Myers - Salutes Bessie Smith - Leo |
| Dirty No-Gooder's Blues Amina Claudine Myers - Salutes Bessie Smith - Leo |
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