A prevalent American surname, ”Smith" also shows up frequently in jazz. But assembled together in one show, Bessie, Pinetop, Willie "The Lion," Viola, Stuff, et al. make for an extraordinary lineup.
“Well, that is the great Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, singing her own Lost Your Head Blues from a recording made in May of 1926 with Fletcher Henderson at the piano and the cornetist Joe Smith. No relation. We'll hear a full performance of that later on in the show.
But it just occurred to me, and maybe it has you too, how often the name Smith pops up as performers' names in early jazz. In addition to Bessie and Joe here, I thought of several. There's Pinetop Smith and Stuff Smith and Willie The Lion, plus a drummer from the 40s named Viola Smith, who's outstanding.
And then a trio of blues singers, Mamie Smith, Clara and Trixie Smith, all from the 20s. And there's a lot more, but we'll start there. So that's what we're about today on At the Jazz Band Ball.
I think you'll enjoy this little assemblage of Smiths from Early Jazz. Here it is.
Well, I thought we'd start out with Willie The Lion Smith, born in Goshen, New York in 1893, lived in extravagant 79 years, was a great stride piano player and maybe even greater self-promoter, was a friend and[…]”
From At the Jazz Band Ball: Jazz Smiths, May 5, 2024
Transcript:
“Well, that is the great Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, singing her own Lost Your Head Blues from a recording made in May of 1926 with Fletcher Henderson at the piano and the cornetist Joe Smith. No relation. We'll hear a full performance of that later on in the show.
But it just occurred to me, and maybe it has you too, how often the name Smith pops up as performers' names in early jazz. In addition to Bessie and Joe here, I thought of several. There's Pinetop Smith and Stuff Smith and Willie The Lion, plus a drummer from the 40s named Viola Smith, who's outstanding.
And then a trio of blues singers, Mamie Smith, Clara and Trixie Smith, all from the 20s. And there's a lot more, but we'll start there. So that's what we're about today on At the Jazz Band Ball.
I think you'll enjoy this little assemblage of Smiths from Early Jazz. Here it is.
Well, I thought we'd start out with Willie The Lion Smith, born in Goshen, New York in 1893, lived in extravagant 79 years, was a great stride piano player and maybe even greater self-promoter, was a friend and[…]”
From At the Jazz Band Ball: Jazz Smiths, May 5, 2024
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-the-jazz-band-ball/id1687165125?i=1000654603905
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