Ma Rainey's Lost Blues Restored in Definitive Box Set
A new extensive compilation of Gertrude "Ma" Rainey's music has been unveiled, titled "Ma Rainey: Mother of the Blues: The Complete Paramount Recordings, 1923–1928." This box set encompasses 92 tracks recorded for Paramount Records, along with newly discovered test pressings and previously unreleased alternate takes, bringing the total to 118 tracks. Doug Benson, the restoration engineer, noted that the original recordings, made on subpar materials, caused Victrola needles to skip over Rainey’s loudest notes, but this new release uncovers those notes and hidden violin elements. Accompanying the set is a book featuring photographs, historical documents, track notes, lyrics, and archival content. Rainey, born in Georgia in 1886 (or Alabama in 1882), was a trailblazing blues musician who shaped the genre and maintained control over her work. David Pike from Pop Matters praised the collection highly.
Key facts
- Box set 'Ma Rainey: Mother of the Blues: The Complete Paramount Recordings, 1923–1928' released last week.
- Features 92 songs plus 26 additional tracks from test pressings and alternate takes.
- Original recordings were on cheap materials that obscured Rainey's voice.
- Restoration engineer Doug Benson worked on the project.
- Hidden violin parts are now audible.
- Rainey was born in 1886 in Georgia (or 1882 in Alabama).
- She was one of the first women to professionally record the blues.
- Rainey wrote or co-wrote at least a third of her recorded songs.
Entities
Artists
- Gertrude "Ma" Rainey
- Bessie Smith
- Charley Patton
- Blind Lemon Jefferson
- Thomas A. Dorsey
- Ed Pollack
- Albert Wynn
- Dave Nelson
- Gabriel Washington
- Chris Albertson
Institutions
- Paramount Records
- Black Swan Records
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- New York Times
- Pop Matters
Locations
- Georgia
- Alabama