Post by kaji on Jan 21, 2022 19:59:49 GMT
Bessie Smith (15 April 1894 - 26 September 1937)
Known As: the Empress of the Blues
Voice Type: Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range: F♯3-B♭5
Significant High Notes:
B♭5 ("Soft Pedal Blues")
E♭5 ("Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer", "On Revival Day (A Rhythmic Spiritual)")
D5 ("Beale Street Mama", "It Won't Be You", "J.C. Holmes Blues", "St. Louis Blues" Live in 1929)
C♯5 ("Alexander's Ragtime Band", "Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer", "Nashville Woman's Blues")
C5 ("Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Beale Street Mama", "Black Mountain Blues", "Hateful Blues", "He's Gone Blues", "Hustlin' Dan", "I Aint' Goin' To Play No Second Fiddle", "I Want Ev'ry Bit Of It", "J.C. Holmes Blues", "Lost Your Head Blues", "Muddy Water (A Mississsippi Moan)" second take, "My Man Blues", "Nashville Woman's Blues", "New Orleans Hop Scop Blues", "Nobody's Blues But Mine", "On Revival Day (A Rhythmic Spiritual)", "Put It Right Here (Or Keep It Out Of There)", "Rocking Chair Blues", "See If I Care", "Slow And Easy Man", "Soft Pedal Blues", "Standin' In The Rain Blues", "St. Louis Blues" Live in 1929, "There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town To-Night", "Trombone Cholly", "Wasted Life Blues", "Work House Blues", "Yes Indeed He Do!", "You Ought To Ashamed")
B4 ("Alexander's Ragtime Band", "At the Christmas Ball", "Beale Street Mama", "Cake Walking Babies (From Home)", "Careless Love Blues", "Dyin' By The Hour", "Dying Gambler's Blues", "Far Away Blues", "Florida Bound Blues", "Hard Time Blues", "He's Gone Blues", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "It Won't Be You", "I've Got What It Takes", "Lady Luck Blues", "Lonesome Desert Blues", "Moan Mourners", "My Man Blues", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out", "Oh Daddy Blues", "Sorrowful Blues", "St. Louis Gal", "Yellow Dog Blues", "Young Woman's Blues", "You Don't Understand", "You Ought To Ashamed")
B♭4 ("A Good Man Is Hard To Find", "Aggravatin' Papa", "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "Any Woman's Blues", "At the Christmas Ball", "Baby Doll", "Baby Have Pity On Me", "Black Mountain Blues", "Blue Blues", "Blue Spirit Blues", "Cemetery Blues", "Devil's Gonna Git You", "Dirty No-Gooder's Blues", "Don't Cry Baby", "Down Hearted Blues", "Empty Bed Blues", "Far Away Blues", "Follow The Deal On Down", "Frankie Blues", "Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer", "Gulf Coast Blues", "He's Gone Blues", "Homeless Blues", "House Rent Blues", "I'd Rather Be Dead And Buried In My Grave", "I Got What It Takes (But It Breaks My Heart To Give It Away)", "I'm Down In The Dumps", "I'm Wild About That Thing", "I Used To Be Your Sweet Mama", "I've Been Mistreated And I Don't Like It", "I Want Ev'ry Bit Of It", "Jail-House Blues", "Jazzbo Brown From Memphis Town", "Kitchen Man", "Lock And Key", "Looking For My Man Blues", "Lost Your Head Blues", "Love Me Daddy Blues", "Mama's Got The Blues", "Me And My Gin", "Moan Mourners", "Money Blues", "Moonshine Blues", "Muddy Water (A Mississsippi Moan)", "My Sweetie Went Away", "Nashville Woman's Blues", "New Gulf Coast Blues", "Nobody In Town Can Bake A Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine", "Outside Of That", "Pickpocket Blues", "Pinchbacks, Take 'Em Away", "Please Help Me Get Him Off My Mind", "Preachin' The Blues", "Put It Right Here (Or Keep It Out Of There)", "Rainy Weather Blues", "Reckless Blues", "Red Mountain Blues", "Salt Water Blues", "See If I Care", "Send Me To The 'Lectric Chair", "Shipwreck Blues", "Sinful Blues", "Slow And Easy Man", "Soft Pedal Blues", "Spider Man Blues", "Squeeze Me", "St. Louis Blues", "Sweet Mistreater", "Take It Right Back ('Cause I Don't Want It Here)", "The Gin House Blues", "Them 'Has Been' Blues", "Them's Graveyard Words", "There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town To-Night", "Thinking Blues", "Ticket Agent Ease Your Window Down", "Washwoman's Blues", "Weeping Willow Blues", "What's The Matter Now?", "Work House Blues", "Yellow Dog Blues", "Yes Indeed He Do!", "Yodeling Blues", "Young Woman's Blues", "You've Got To Get Me Some")
A4 ("After You've Gone", "A Good Man Is Hard To Find", "Any Woman's Blues", "At the Christmas Ball", "Baby Have Pity On Me", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Back-Water Blues", "Bleeding Hearted Blues", "Cake Walking Babies (From Home)", "Careless Love Blues", "Chicago Bound Blues", "Cold In Hand Blues", "Don't Cry Baby", "Down Hearted Blues", "Do Your Duty", "Dyin' By The Hour", "Dying Gambler's Blues", "Easy Come Easy Go Blues", "Eavesdropper's Blues", "Follow The Deal On Down", "Frankie Blues", "Golden Rule Blues", "Gulf Coast Blues", "Hard Time Blues", "Haunted House Blues", "Homeless Blues", "House Rent Blues", "Hustlin' Dan", "I Aint' Goin' To Play No Second Fiddle", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "I Got What It Takes (But It Breaks My Heart To Give It Away)", "I'm Going Back To My Used To Be", "It Won't Be You", "I've Got What It Takes", "J.C. Holmes Blues", "Keep It To Yourself", "Keeps On A Rainin' (Papa, He Can't Make No Time)", "Kitchen Man", "Lady Luck Blues", "Lonesome Desert Blues", "Long Old Road", "Midnight Blues", "Mistreatin' Daddy", "Moonshine Blues", "My Man Blues", "My Sweetie Went Away", "Nashville Woman's Blues", "Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl", "New Gulf Coast Blues", "New Orleans Hop Scop Blues", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out", "Nobody's Blues But Mine", "Oh Daddy Blues", "One And Two Blues", "On Revival Day (A Rhythmic Spiritual)", "Pickpocket Blues", "Pinchbacks, Take 'Em Away", "Red Mountain Blues", "Rocking Chair Blues", "Sam Jones Blues", "See If I Care", "Shipwreck Blues", "Sinful Blues", "Slow And Easy Man", "Sobbin' Hearted Blues", "Soft Pedal Blues", "Sorrowful Blues", "Standin' In The Rain Blues", "St. Louis Gal", "Sweet Mistreater", "Take Me For A Buggy Ride", "The Bye Bye Blues", "Them 'Has Been' Blues", "Them's Graveyard Words", "There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town To-Night", "Trombone Cholly", "Washwoman's Blues", "Wasted Life Blues", "What's The Matter Now?", "Whoa Tillie, Take Your Time", "Work House Blues", "You Don't Understand", "You Ought To Ashamed", "You've Been A Good Old Wagon")
Significant Low Notes:
B♭3 ("A Good Man Is Hard To Find", "Aggravatin' Papa", "Baby Have Pity On Me", "Blue Spirit Blues", "Cemetery Blues", "Dirty No-Gooder's Blues", "Don't Cry Baby", "Empty Bed Blues", "Follow The Deal On Down", "Frankie Blues", "Graveyard Dream Blues", "Gulf Coast Blues", "He's Got Me Goin'", "Homeless Blues", "Honey Man Blues", "House Rent Blues", "I'd Rather Be Dead And Buried In My Grave", "I'm Wild About That Thing", "Kitchen Man", "Lock And Key", "Looking For My Man Blues", "Lost Your Head Blues", "Lou'siana Low Down Blues", "Love Me Daddy Blues", "Mama's Got The Blues", "Mountaintop Blues", "Muddy Water (A Mississsippi Moan)", "My Sweetie Went Away", "Nashville Woman's Blues", "New Gulf Coast Blues", ""Outside Of That", "Pickpocket Blues", "Please Help Me Get Him Off My Mind", "Preachin' The Blues", "Put It Right Here (Or Keep It Out Of There)", "Rainy Weather Blues", "Shipwreck Blues", "Sinful Blues", "Them 'Has Been' Blues", "There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town To-Night", "Thinking Blues", "Ticket Agent Ease Your Window Down", "Washwoman's Blues", "Worn Out Papa Blues", "Yes Indeed He Do!", "Yodeling Blues", "You've Got To Get Me Some")
A3 ("Back-Water Blues", "Bleeding Hearted Blues", "Chicago Bound Blues", "Easy Come Easy Go Blues", "Eavesdropper's Blues", "Hard Time Blues", "Haunted House Blues", "Hustlin' Dan", "I'm Going Back To My Used To Be", "It Won't Be You", "Keeps On A Rainin' (Papa, He Can't Make No Time)", "Lady Luck Blues", "Lonesome Desert Blues", "Midnight Blues", "Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out", "Oh Daddy Blues", "Red Mountain Blues", "Sweet Mistreater", "'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do", "Whoa Tillie, Take Your Time", "You Don't Understand")
G♯3 ("Foolish Man Blues", "Frosty Morining Blues", "Hard Driving Papa", "Hateful Blues", "If You Don't Know, Who Will?", "It Makes My Love Come Down", "Mean Old Bed Bug Blues", "Moan Mourners", "Nobody In Town Can Bake A Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine", "One And Two Blues", "Safety Mama", "Salt Water Blues", "Take It Right Back ('Cause I Don't Want It Here)")
G3 ("I Got What It Takes (But It Breaks My Heart To Give It Away)", "I've Got What It Takes", "I Want Ev'ry Bit Of It", "Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl", "St. Louis Blues" Live in 1929, "Sweet Mistreater", "What's The Matter Now?")
F♯3 ("Back-Water Blues", "Nobody In Town Can Bake A Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine")
........................................
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.
{Questionable notes}
F♯6 ("Haunted House Blues" [2][3])
D5 ("Moan Mourners" [3], "Sam Jones Blues" [3])
F♯3 ("Sweet Mistreater" [1])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.
F♯6 ("Haunted House Blues" [2][3])
D5 ("Moan Mourners" [3], "Sam Jones Blues" [3])
F♯3 ("Sweet Mistreater" [1])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.
