Wild Women Don't Have The Blues

Born in the workfields where slaves sang about their troubles, the blues were popularized during the early decades of this century by black women singers on both the stage and later on record. This absorbing documentary details the lives of the stellar stars of the blues: Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, and others. Interviews with author Chris Albertson (Bessie) and current blues singer Koko Taylor are intercut with archival stills and early motion pictures from the turn-of-the-century through the 20s. Highlights include: "Crazy Blues," which in the early 1920s became not only a big hit, but also the first recording by a black artist; clips from "St. Louis Blues" which featured Bessie Smith; and a 1982 performance by Alberta Hunter of the old favorite "Handy Man." An excellent documentary which captures and illuminates the social milieu of early 20th-century America as reflected through the phenomenon of the blues. Highly recommended. (See THE ROAD TO BROWN for availability.)