Rainey, Ma - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Ma Rainey was the first real blues singer to record and her performances done in the early twenties distinguish
her from the other early female blues vocalists in that she had the real rural sound born of exposure to great
traditional styles rather than the watered down Tin Pan Alley and vaudeville constructs of her competitors. She
was extremely popular in the early twenties both in live performances and record sales. Presented here are her
finest and most popular performances. One hundred years later she is still recognized as one of the great figures
in blues history.