The Complete Recordings, Vol. 5: The Final Chapter

Personnel includes: Bessie Smith (vocals); Bobby Johnson (guitar); Charlie Dixon (banjo); Coleman Hawkins (clarinet, tenor saxophone); harlie Green (clarinet, trombone); Buster Bailey, Benny Goodman (clarinet); Chu Berry (tenor saxophone); Frank Newton, Russell Smith (trumpet); Joe Smith (cornet); Jimmy Harrison, Jack Teagarden (trombone); Ralph Escudero, Fletcher Henderson, Fred Longshaw, Buck Washington, Clarence Williams (piano); Harry Hull, Billy Taylor (bass); Kaiser Marshall (drums); T. Rosamund Johnson & The Hall-Johnson Choir (background vocals).Recorded between 1925 and 1933. Includes liner notes by Chris Albertson & Lawrence Cohn.Digitally remastered by David Mitson (Sony Music Studios, Los Angeles, California).This is part of Legacy's Roots N' Blues series.THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS VOL. 5: THE FINAL CHAPTER was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Album Notes.In its most important and comprehensive blues reissue project since the label's complete refurbishment of Robert Johnson's recordings, Columbia Records unleased the essential five-volume, ten-CD series BESSIE SMITH: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS. Columbia lovingly remastering every extant piece of tape from the Empress of the Blues and carefully packaging them in well-executed collections packed with extensive historical, biographical, and discographical data.This final volume is possibly the most interesting to true blues historians. Its first disc contains not only Smith's late swing-influenced recordings as well as blues classics like "Need Some Sugar in My Bowl," but also the entire 14-minute soundtrack to the legendary short film ST. LOUIS BLUES, including extended instrumental solos, dialogue, and Smith's amazing rendition of the title tune. Disc two is made up of fascinating extended interviews with Bessie's daughter Ruby Smith about her legendarily tempestuous mother.

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