Along with Bessie Smith, Gertrude Ma Rainey has come to be recognised as one of the towering figures of early blues, pioneering the recording of blues by female artists during the earliest years of electric recording. Born in 1896, she became popular as a travelling minstrel, and during her touring across the southern states in the early years of the 20th century absorbed blues songs which she incorporated into her act. Turning to the vaudeville stage, she was heard in Chicago theatres and signed in 1924 by J. Mayo Williams at Paramount, for whom she recorded for the next five years, working solo, or with piano or guitar accompaniment, or more often with jazz ensembles, which were billed on record as her Georgia Jazz Band. Her accompanists during that time featured some of the luminaries of the early jazz scene, including Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Coleman Hawkins, Buster Bailey and Don Redman as well as blues musicians like Tampa Red, Blind Blake and Thomas Dorsey.

This great-value 94-track 4-CD collection comprises all of the titles she recorded for Paramount during her career (she recorded more than one take of some titles, but we only include one of those versions), until the Wall Street Crash and the Depression put an end to her recording. It naturally features classics like See See Rider, Ma Raineys Black Bottom, Stack O'Lee Blues and Jelly Bean Blues. Its a comprehensive showcase for one of the most important personalities of early blues.

REVIEWS

The indisputably great Ma Rainey, great in every sense, may well have been the first professional feamle blues singer. Her recording career for Paramount is brief but prolific and, on this splendid four CD collection which is indeed entitled to call itself definitive, we have the opportunity to hear all the sides she cut for this label between December 1923 and September 1928. Not for nothing was she knoen as the Mother of The Blues, and these recordings allow us to see her reapid development and what of the music through that brief fertile period. A bonus is to hear some true jazz greats in accompaniment, including Jimmy Blythe, Don Redman, Buster Bailey, Coleman Hawkins, Claude Hopkins, a further measure of her standing. But, of course, it's the voice we now want to hear and she gives it her all on every recording she ever made. An ideal CD set to have as companion to the movie on Netflix, Ma Rainey's Black Bottome, starring Viola Davis. - Andrew Liddle (Just Jazz Issue 274)

 
Disc 1
Track Title Artist
1 Bo Weavil Blues Madame "Ma" Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
2 Last Minute Blues Madame "Ma" Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
3 Those All Night Long Blues Madame "Ma" Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
4 Bad Luck Blues Madame "Ma" Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
5 Barrelhouse Blues Madame "Ma" Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
6 Walking Blues Madame "Ma" Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
7 Southern Blues Madame "Ma" Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
8 Moonshine Blues Madame "Ma" Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
9 Lost Wandering Blues Ma Rainey with The Pruitt Twins
10 Dream Blues Ma Rainey with The Pruitt Twins
11 Honey, Where You Been So Long ? Ma Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
12 Ma Rainey Mystery Record Ma Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
13 Those Dogs Of Mine Ma Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
14 Lucky Rock Blues Ma Rainey with Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
15 Shave Em Dry Ma Rainey
16 Farewell Daddy Blues Ma Rainey
17 South Bound Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
18 Lawd Send Me A Man Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
19 Counting The Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
20 Jelly Bean Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
21 Booze And Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
22 Toad Frog Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
23 Jealous Hearted Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
Disc 2
Track Title Artist
1 See See Rider Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
2 Cell Bound Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
3 Ya Da Do Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
4 Explaining The Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
5 Army Camp Harmony Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
6 Goodbye Daddy Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
7 Louisiana Hoodoo Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
8 Stormy Sea Blues Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
9 Levee Camp Moan Ma Rainey with Her Georgia Jazz Band
10 Four Day Honory Scat Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
11 Nightime Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
12 Rough And Tumble Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
13 Memphis Bound Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
14 Oh My Babe Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
15 Slave To The Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
16 Wringing And Twisting Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
17 Chain Gang Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
18 Seeking Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
19 Mountain Jack Blues Ma Rainey With James Blythe, Piano
20 Stack O Lee Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
21 Yonder Come The Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
22 Jealousy Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
23 Broken Hearted Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
Disc 3
Track Title Artist
1 Titanic Man Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
2 Bessemer Bound Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
3 Broken Soul Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
4 Sissy Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
5 Down In The Basement Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
6 Trust No Man Ma Rainey With Lillian Henderson, Piano
7 Grieving Hearted Blues Ma Rainey
8 Little Low Down Mama Blues Ma Rainey
9 Soon This Morning Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
10 Don't Fish In My Sea Ma Rainey With James Blythe, Piano
11 Morning Hour Blues Ma Rainey With Her Georgia Boys
12 Weeping Woman Blues Ma Rainey
13 Dead Drunk Blues Ma Rainey With Hop Hopkins, Piano
14 Misery Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
15 Slow Drivin' Moan Ma Rainey With Hop Hopkins, Piano
16 Gone Daddy Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
17 Damper Down Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
18 Big Boy Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
19 Blues Oh Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
20 Oh Papa Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
21 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
22 Georgia Cakewalk Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
23 Moonshine Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
24 New Boll Weavil Blues Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
Disc 4
Track Title Artist
1 Ice Bag Papa Ma Rainey's Georgia Band
2 Hellish Rag Ma Rainey's Georgia Band
3 Blues The World Forgot Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
4 Blues The World Forgot #2 Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band
5 Prove It On Me Blues Ma Rainey with The Tub Jug Washboard Band
6 Hear Me Talkin To You Ma Rainey with The Tub Jug Washboard Band
7 Black Cat Hoot Owl Ma Rainey with The Tub Jug Washboard Band
8 Victim Of The Blues Ma Rainey with The Tub Jug Washboard Band
9 Traveling Blues Ma Rainey
10 Deep Moaning Blues Ma Rainey
11 Big Feeling Blues Ma Rainey & Papa Charlie Jackson
12 Ma And Pa Poorhouse Blues Ma Rainey & Papa Charlie Jackson
13 Tough Luck Blues Ma Rainey
14 Screech Owl Blues Ma Rainey
15 Blame It On The Blues Ma Rainey
16 Sleep Talking Blues Ma Rainey
17 Log Camp Blues Ma Rainey
18 Hustlin' Blues Ma Rainey
19 Leaving This Morning Ma Rainey
20 Runaway Blues Ma Rainey
21 Sweet Rough Man Ma Rainey
22 Black Dust Blues Ma Rainey
23 Black Eye Blues Ma Rainey
24 Daddy Goodbye Blues Ma Rainey