She wasn’t technically the first lady to record the blues, but Ma Rainey (1882/6-1939) was hands down the most influential, laying down a bedrock of a foundation that has never been improved upon, only modernized. This 4 disc collection covers her important sessions for the Paramount label, and with sidemen including youthful Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson and Coleman Hawkins, all who would later constitute the Mount Rushmore of Jazz, but at this stage just trying to make a few bucks in the studio. Being part of a traveling minstrel show, Rainey was able to deliver blue hues in a variety of palates, teaming up here as well with blues artists Tampa Red, Blind Blake and Thomas Dorsey, who eventually turned to religion and composed the classic hymn “Precious Lord.”
While the box set states that the collection begins in 1924, there are actually a handful of tunes from the previous year, with Rainey teaming with cornetist Tommy Ladnier, Jimmy O’Bryant/cl and Lovie Austin/p for some earthy “Bo Weavil Blues” and “Barrelhouse Blues.” Members of Fletcher Henderson’s 1924 orchestra (Armstrong/cnt, Charlie Green/tb, Buster Bailey/cl, Charlie Dixon/bj, Kaiser Marshall/dr) join with the bandleader to back Rainey on a classic “Jelly Bean Blues” the first and still definitive read of “See See Rider Blues” and the earthy “Stack O Lee Blues” which has the addition of Coleman Hawkins on the bass sax.
More Spartan sessions include Rainey in duet form with Jimmy Blythe on “Don’t Fish In My See,” a “Trust No Man” with Lil Henderson/p, with a handful of trios with Tom Dorsey/p and Tampa Red/g on “Sleep Talking Blues,” Black Dust Blues” and “Black Eye Blues.” There are even some vocal duets with banjoist Papa Charlie Jackson on “Big Feeling Blues and “Ma and Pa Poorhouse Blues” and a bit of vaudeville gets into the studio with kazoo and washboard on “Hustlin’ Blues” and “Deep Moanin’ Blues.”
Yes, the sound is a bit primitive, although it has been impressively cleaned up. Also, the rhythms may be a bit stiff, but you have to keep things in perspective, as the “Blues” to the early 20th century was like progressive jazz to modern ears, except this took the world by the storm, and we are still riding in its wake. Here is the taproot of everything you’ve listened to today this side of Bach.