Dinah Washington Sings Bessie Smith

• Artist: Dinah Washington
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1957 12 30-1958 07 06
• Total Time: 55:17
• Genre: Vocal Music

Review

Gifted with a strong, beautiful voice and very precise phrasing, Dinah Washington translated Bessie Smith's irrepressible spirit and flair even better than Billie Holiday, Smith's most famous devotee. For her tribute album, Washington avoided Smith's best-known songs ("'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do," "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," "Baby Won't You Please Come Home"). Instead, she wisely concentrated on the more defiant standards from "The Empress of the Blues," including "Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair," "Jailhouse Blues," and "You've Been a Good Ole Wagon." Washington sounds simply glorious, focused on alternating Smith's phrasing to emphasize her own gospel roots. The accompaniment, by Eddie Chamblee and His Orchestra, emphasizes the vaudeville and Dixieland sound of early-century blues, heavy on the slide trombone, growling trumpet, and skeletal, rickety percussion. Reissued several times (occasionally under the title The Bessie Smith Songbook), Dinah Washington Sings Bessie Smith charts a perfect balance between tribute and genuine artistic statement. A Verve master edition reissue added alternate takes of "Trombone Butter" and "Careless Love," plus three songs taken from a Newport performance later in 1958. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
After You've Gone	Henry Creamer, Turner Layton	Dinah Washington	(3:38)
Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair	George Brooks, Fletcher Henderson	Dinah Washington	(3:17)
Jailhouse Blues	Bessie Smith, Clarence Williams	Dinah Washington	(3:13)
Trombone Butter [Master Take]	Fletcher Henderson	Dinah Washington	(3:34)
You've Been a Good Old Wagon	Perry Bradford	Dinah Washington	(4:09)
Careless Love	W.C. Handy, Martha E. Koenig, Spencer Williams	Dinah Washington	(3:36)
Backwater Blues	Bessie Smith	Dinah Washington	(4:58)
If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)	James P. Johnson, Henry Creamer	Dinah Washington	(2:51)
Me and My Gin	Harry Burke	Dinah Washington	(3:12)
Fine Fat Daddy	Dinah Washington	Dinah Washington	(3:20)
Trombone Butter [Alternate Take][*]	Fletcher Henderson	Dinah Washington	(3:38)
Careless Love [Master Take in Mono][*]	W.C. Handy, Martha E. Koenig, Spencer Williams	Dinah Washington	(4:01)
Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair [Live][*]	George Brooks, Fletcher Henderson	Dinah Washington	(3:53)
Me and My Gin [Live][*]	Harry Burke	Dinah Washington	(3:20)
Backwater Blues [Live][*]	Bessie Smith	Dinah Washington	(4:37)

Credits

Wynton Kelly (Piano), Melba Liston (Trombone), Blue Mitchell (Trumpet), Harold Ousley (Sax (Tenor)), Julian Priester (Trombone), Max Roach (Drums), Dinah Washington (Vocals), Dinah Washington (Main Performer), Jack Wilson (Piano), Eddie Chamblee (Arranger), Eddie Chamblee (Sax (Tenor)), Charles Davis (Sax (Baritone)), Quentin Jackson (Trombone), Clark Terry (Trumpet), James Craig (Piano), McKinley Easton (Sax (Baritone)), Peter Keepnews (Liner Editor), Kevin Reeves (Mastering), Flip Ricard (Trumpet), Bob Shad (Original Album Producer), Sahib Shihab (Sax (Baritone)), James Slaughter (Drums), Paul West (Bass), Chuck Stewart (Photography), Valerie Wagner (Artwork), Hollis King (Art Direction), Ben Young (Research), Ben Young (Supervisor), Ben Young (Restoration), Tom Greenwood (Production Assistant), Robert Lee Wilson (Bass), Cynthia Sesso (Photo Research), Carlos Kase (Production Assistant), Bryan Koniarz (Production Coordination), Sherniece Smith (Art Producer), Linda Dahl (Liner Notes), Robare Edmonson (Bass), Robare Edmonson (Arranger)