Classic female blues was an early form of blues music, popular in the 1920s. An amalgam of traditional folk blues and urban theater music, the style is also known as vaudeville blues. Classic blues were performed by female vocalists accompanied by pianists or small jazz ensembles, and were the first blues to be recorded. Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, and the other singers of this genre were instrumental in spreading the popularity of the blues.
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Famous quotes containing the words classic, female and/or blues:
“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.”
—Italo Calvino (1923–1985)
“Male God: You’ve earned enough credits to get you into heaven.
Steve: Oh, thank God.
Male and Female Gods: You’re welcome.”
—Blake Edwards (b. 1922)
“The blues women had a commanding presence and a refreshing robustness. They were nurturers, taking the yeast of experience, kneading it into dough, molding it and letting it grow in their minds to bring the listener bread for sustenance, shaped by their sensibilities.”
—Rosetta Reitz, U.S. author. As quoted in The Political Palate, ch. 10, by Betsey Beaven et al. (1980)