Episode 486: Spotlight on Bessie Smith - The Empress of the Blues (part 1 of 1)

Pacific Street Blues
Spotlight on Bessie Smith
June 14, 2026

1. Janis Joplin / Black Mountain Blues
2. Bob Dylan & The Band / Bessie Smith (Happy and Artie Traum)
3. Dory Previn / (Janis Joplin bought a) Stone for Bessie Smith
4. John Coltrane / Bessie's Blues

Influences
5. Ma Rainey / See See Rider Blues (Elvis Presley)
6. Ida Cox / Wild Women Don't Have the Blues
7. Albert Hunter / Down Hearted Blues
8. Maime Smith / Crazy Blues

Duets: Charlie Green of Omaha
9. Bessie Smith w/ Charlie Green / Empty Bed Blues
10. Jim Croce / Charlie Green Play that Slide Trombone
11. Bessie Smith w/ Louis Armstrong (trumpet) / St Louis Blues
12. Clara Smith w/ Bessie Smith / I'm Going Back to My Used to Be

James P Johnson, The Invisible Pianist
13. Bessie Smith w/ James P Johnson / Back Water Blues
14. Fats Waller / Ain't Misbehavin'
15. Count Basie / April in Paris
16. Duke Ellington / Take the A Train (Billy Eckstine)

Lieber & Stoller
17. Wilbert Harrison / Kansas City
18. Kathy Tyree / Hound Dog
19. Elvis Presley / King Creole
20. The Rolling Stones / Down Home Girl
21. The Beatles / Young Blood

John Hammond Sr. Legendary A&R Columbia Records
22. Billie Holiday / Gimme a Beer and a Pigfoot
23. Aretha Franklin / Soulville
24. Bruce Springsteen / Sandy (4th of July)
25. Lionel Hampton w/ Nat Cole Trio / House of Morgan

Covers of Bessie Smith's Music
26. Sue Foley / Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair 
27. Ella Fitzgerald / Gulf Coast Blues 
28. Della Reese / You've Been a Good Old Wagon 
29. Etta James / Don't Cry Baby
30. Bessie Smith / Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do 
31. Rhiannon Giddens / You Put the Sugar in My Bowl 
32. Rory Block / I'm Down in the Dumps 
33. Kenny Wayne Shepherd / Back Water Blues