Laverne Baker - Sings Bessie Smith - Speakers Corner LP

180 Gram Vinyl, LP

In 1958 a passably successful R&B singer entered the studio with an all-star band to tape a dozen songs from the repertoire of legendary blues vocalist Bessie Smith. From the very first number, "Gimme A Pigfoot," a snappy bass line conjures the ballroom atmosphere of the Twenties, while bluesy dialogues with the trumpet, robustly orchestrated swing, and cool, faltering blues make for great listening throughout. The band reads like a Who's Who of outstanding musicians — Nat Pierce, Buck Clayton, Paul Quinichette, Urbie Green and Jimmy Cleveland among them. This Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head.

Features

• 180g vinyl
• Pure analogue, remastered from the original master tapes
• Recorded January 1958; engineered by Tom Dowd, produced by Nesuhi Ertegun
• Label: Atlantic (Speakers Corner reissue)

Track Listing

1. Gimme A Pigfoot
2. Baby Doll
3. On Revival Day
4. Money Blues
5. I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle
6. Backwater Blues
7. Empty Bed Blues
8. There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight
9. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
10. After You've Gone
11. Young Woman's Blues
12. Preaching The Blues