dirtyblondny Says:

Nov 13, 2008 - god bless good queen bess - mother of all

jessatilley Says:

Nov 14, 2008 - Wow what a fantastic clip of the late great Bessie Smith. I've favourited.

DarktownStrut Says:

Nov 14, 2008 - This must be the first music video ever, I thought it was "Subterranean homesick blues" by Dylan. And it feels like an opera, great :)

kingwill86 Says:

Nov 14, 2008 - our ancesters where just brilliant dont you agree?

amberstoocool Says:

Nov 16, 2008 - was there a little bit of raphsody in blue near the end? near 7:00?

imageelove Says:

Nov 16, 2008 - This is powerful and beautiful. Because of this tune on Victor Krummenacher's Patriarch Blues (with Alison Levy) I thought I try and discover the original and I'm amazed over Bessie's power. I'll definitely check out more music.

imageelove Says:

Nov 16, 2008 - Amber there was Rhapsody in Blue. I couldn't think what it was - thanks for mentioning it.

Tenderness6 Says:

Nov 20, 2008 - This rendition is legendary!

Deshard62 Says:

Nov 22, 2008 - Who was the dancer? Was it Bill "Bojangles" Robinson? Amazing clip. Simply amazing.

txun45 Says:

Nov 22, 2008 - GAWD...absolutely incredible! Thanks for posting.

marlis44 Says:

Nov 23, 2008 - kingwing86. Your ancestors were more than brilliant, they were the cornerstone of American music and are never given enough credit. One of the few white singers who understood black music and its fantastic contributions was of all people, Elvis Presley.

zinbadx Says:

Nov 25, 2008 - damn niggers

pjstudevent Says:

Nov 25, 2008 - Why are YOU on here?

Psytoad Says:

Nov 25, 2008 - damn humanity. try to say that, when i am standing in front of you and i stick my knife in your motherfucking head. and i must not be black to say this.

MedwayMan1945 Says:

Nov 27, 2008 - Jimmy Mordecai.

RivaJane Says:

Nov 30, 2008 - Wow. Her voice floors me, every time. She was the voice of a generation

zinbadx Says:

Nov 30, 2008 - fucking niggerlovers, god gave us them to have someone pick that cotton in my field, he sent them here because he thought we needed some relaxation, is god black? No, he is white. Niggers are animals, when we sailed down to Africa they danced with bones in their hair around campfires and lived in straw huts, we whites have advanced and civilizied us, but they still lived in anarchy.

viewstew Says:

Dec 1, 2008 - Wow. Hope you're proud of yourself. You managed to make yourself look like a total jerk without anybody else helping you. Oh, and when was the last time you saw God? Please tell me, because I'd love to meet him, and ask him why he let genetic defectives like you get through the gene pool. It's people like you who who draw swastikas on walls, and spell Satan "satin", right? How far did you go in school - 3rd grade? LOSER!

viewstew Says:

Dec 1, 2008 - Oh, and I may I add that it's even more revolting to discover you are from EDINBURGH?! I hope you are an exchange student or something, because the Scots are a noble race, long known for their acceptance and tolerance of other races. I repeat - you're a jerk. Times 2. 'nuf said.

zinbadx Says:

Dec 1, 2008 - Actually i don't believe in God, i have nothing against black people, i'm not quite sure why i wrote that, i like to see peoples reaction i guess, and ah yes, i'm from Scotland.

bandibreath Says:

Dec 2, 2008 - The Blues was born out of the Negro Spirtituals, which of course came out of the suffering of my ancestors that were not only enslaved, but many of my relatives prior to my birth endured the horrors of Jim Crow. By the time I was born in 1961, The second leg of the Civil rights movement had already started. As far as zinbadx, the truth is that Civilization existed in Africa centuries before it ever existed in Europe. Africa was made up of Kingdoms and numerous tribes.

lesourn Says:

Dec 5, 2008 - Wow, the original 1929 film clip! (With dancer Jimmy Mordecai). If you want to know more about Bessie her story is told in the book by Chris Albertson called, Empress of the Blues. She was the voice of her generation and is greatly missed.

CarolinaDrama Says:

Dec 6, 2008 - ZOMG the original video!!! 8D This is a real treat after finding the original sheet music online. Just wish they had published the harmonies in this recording. Her singing in the beginning as well as some of the chorus singing was featured in Malcolm McLaren's song "About Her" from Kill Bill 2, which sparked my interest in the song.

jzzeffect Says:

Dec 7, 2008 - amberstoocool You have a very good ear! There was in fact an homage to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in W.C. Handy's St Louis Blues. Gershwin was a big fan of W.C. Handy's work, and I think Handy acknowledged his appreciation Gershwin's work in this piece.

amberstoocool Says:

Dec 11, 2008 - wow thats pretty neat! thanks for letting me in on that.