Bessie Smith at the Douglass Theater (Dec. 17-23, 1923)

According to Chris Albertson’s Bessie (Yale University Press, 2003), on December 17, 1923, Bessie Smith returned to the Douglass Theater in Baltimore to fulfil a week’s engagement as a headliner. According to Albertson, “being signed to a major label (Columbia Records) gave Bessie an imprimatur that registered dramatically at the box office: the Douglass’s manager declared the engagement the most successful in the theater’s history”.

Strangely, the following article, published in the Afro American, December 21, 1923, reports that “she (Bessie) expressed disgust at the poor attendance at the Douglass, stating that everywhere else they have appeared they have done turn-away business”.

[Click on image to see full size version]

On December 22, 1923, four months before Bessie’s first contract with Columbia was to expire, the company signed her to a new and better contract: she would record a minimum of twelve sides a year, $200 apiece.

Bessie concluded her week at the Douglass Theater on the following day, and opened Christmas Eve at the Dunbar in Philadelphia.

Here’s an ad for the Douglass Theater engagement, published in the Afro American, December 14, 1923, followed by a photograph of Bessie with a footnote that includes a description of her voice as “full, round, strong and clear with an unusual sweetness, tempered with an original plaintive note that goes straight to the heart of the listener, and has put her on the top round of the vaudeville performers of the race”.

[Click on image to see full size version]

--------------------------------------------------

De acuerdo con el libro “Bessie” (Yale University Press, 2003) de Chris Albertson, el 17 de diciembre de 1923, Bessie Smith volvía al Douglass Theater de Baltimore con un contrato de una semana como cabeza de cartel. Según Albertson, “el tener contrato con una discográfica grande (Columbia Records) le daba a Bessie un estatus que se reflejaba dramáticamente en taquilla: el manager del Douglass declaró esos conciertos como los más exitosos de la historia del teatro”.

Extrañamente, el siguiente artículo, publicado en el Afro American (21 de diciembre de 1923) informaba que “Bessie expresó su disgusto por la poca asistencia de público en el Douglass (…)”.

El 22 de diciembre de 1923, cuatro meses antes de que el primer contrato de Bessie con Columbia expirase, la compañía firmó un nuevo y mejor contrato: Bessie grabaría un mínimo de doce temas al año, a razón de 200 dólares cada uno.

Bessie finalizó su semana en el Douglass Theater el día siguiente y abrió en el Dunbar de Filadelfia en Nochebuena.

Este anuncio de los conciertos en el Douglass Theater se publicó en el Afro American el 14 de diciembre de 1923. A continuación, se adjunta una foto de Bessie Smith (publicada el mismo día) que incluye una descripción de su voz como: “plena, redonda, fuerte y clara, con una dulzura inusual, matizada con un original tono lastimero que va directo al corazón del oyente y la ha colocado en la primera fila de intérpretes de vaudeville de color”.

Leonard Feather on Louis Armstrong

This profile of Louis Armstrong was written by Leonard Feather and published in the New York Times on October 26, 1941.

[Click on image to see full size version]

Bessie Smith ads [part 1]

Here's a first batch of Bessie Smith ads, all taken from the Afro American (December 21, 1928). More to come!

[Click on images to see a full size version]

Stomping off with Chris Albertson

At this point you may have read it elsewhere, but anyway it's worth mentioning that jazz scholar, producer and critic Chris Albertson has started a new blog called Stomp Off, Let's Go... where he will share some of his multiple and invaluable jazz experiences. Just to make a slight idea of his contributions to jazz, check this website.

For me, he will always be the author of the definitive biography of Bessie Smith, Bessie (don't forget to get the revised and expanded edition published by Yale University Press in 2003) and the producer of many Prestige and Riverside recordings rescuing old jazz and blues masters such as Lonnie Johnson, Elmer Snowden or Cliff Jackson, but, above all, a honest and hearty man and a source of jazz knowledge. Let's stomp off, Chris!