Bayoogie HiStory
Ma Rainey – die leuchtende Königin des Vaudeville Blues
von Christian Christl
Ma Rainey war eine schillernde Persönlichkeit. Eigentlich hieß sie Gertrude Pridgett. Aber das tut nichts zur Sache. Ihre Bühnenauftritte in unterschiedlichen Vaudeville Shows sind legendär. Man sagt, sie hätte die jungen Männer verschlungen, die in Reih und Glied da standen und warteten, bis sie an der Reihe waren. Ihre Lieder waren von präziser Direktheit – zu jedem Thema. Auch ihre Mitmusiker hatten es wohl nicht leicht. Es gibt Erzählungen, dass sie Bandproben, sagen wir mal, nicht wirklich mochte. Rauf auf die Bühne und los geht`s.
Einige Quellen geben ihr Geburtsdatum mit 1882 an, andere mit 1886. Sie stammte, wie so viele gute Musiker, aus dem Süden, aus Georgia. Und begann bereits als junger Teenager in den fahrenden Vaudeville Shows aufzutreten und von Ort zu Ort zu reisen.
Nachdem es relativ wenig Infos über Ma Rainey gibt, sind manche Erzählungen und Anekdoten umso interessanter. Man erzählt sich zum Beispiel, sie hätte Clarence Pinetop Smith ans Herz gelegt, diesen schnellen Blues doch “Boogie Woogie” zu taufen. Ob das stimmt? Egal.
Jedenfalls nahm sie eine junge Sängerin unter ihre Fittiche: Bessie Smith. Und die wurde ja bekanntermaßen die “Kaiserin des Blues”.
Die 1920er Jahre waren turbulent. Ma Rainey machte ihre ersten Tonaufnahmen 1923. Und wurde schnell bekannt. Insgesamt hat sie nahezu 100 Aufnahmen hinterlassen. Durch den Erfolg, den Bessie Smith hatte, geriet Ma Rainey ein wenig ins Hintertreffen, tourte aber trotzdem unermüdlich weiter in allen möglichen, und auch unmöglichen Vaudeville Shows.
1935 kehrte sie in ihre Heimat Columbus, Georgia zurück und leitete bis zu ihrem Tod 1939 drei Vaudeville-Theater.
Der wohl berühmteste Blues, den Ma Rainey komponierte, ist der “CC Rider Blues”.
# | Recording date |
Title | Accompaniment |
---|---|---|---|
01 | 1923/12 | “Bad Luck Blues” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
02 | 1923/12 | “Bo-Weavil Blues” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
03 | 1923/12 | “Barrel House Blues” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
04 | 1923/12 | “Those All Night Long Blues” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
05 | 1923/12 | “Moonshine Blues” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
06 | 1923/12 | “Last Minute Blues” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
07 | 1923/12 | “Southern Blues” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
08 | 1923/12 | “Walking Blues” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
09 | 1924/03 | “Lost Wandering Blues” | The Pruitt Twins |
10 | 1924/03 | “Dream Blues” | The Pruitt Twins |
11 | 1924/03 | “Honey Where You Been So Long?” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
12 | 1924/03 | “Ya-Da-Do” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
13 | 1924/03 | “Those Dogs of Mine” “(Famous Cornfield Blues)” |
Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
14 | 1924/03 | “Lucky Rock Blues” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
15 | 1924/04 | “South Bound Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
16 | 1924/05 | “Lawd Send Me a Man Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
17 | 1924/05 | “Ma Rainey’s Mystery Record” | Lovie Austin Blues Serenaders |
18 | 1924/08 | “Shave ‘Em Dry Blues” | The Pruitt Twins[59] |
19 | 1924/08 | “Farewell Daddy Blues” | The Pruitt Twins[60] |
20 | 1924/10 | “Booze and Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
21 | 1924/10 | “Toad Frog Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
22 | 1924/10 | “Jealous Hearted Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
23 | 1924/10 | “See See Rider Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
24 | 1924/10 | “Jelly Bean Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
25 | 1924/10 | “Countin’ the Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
26 | 1924/11 | “Cell Bound Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
27 | 1925/05 | “Army Camp Harmony Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
28 | 1925/05 | “Explaining the Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
29 | 1925/05 | “Louisiana Hoo Doo Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
30 | 1925/05 | “Goodbye Daddy Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
31 | 1925/05 | “Stormy Seas Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
32 | 1925/08 | “Rough and Tumble Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
33 | 1925/08 | “Night Time Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
34 | 1925/08 | “Levee Camp Moan” | Her Georgia Band |
35 | 1925/08 | “Four Day Honorary Scat” | Her Georgia Band |
36 | 1925/08 | “Memphis Bound Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
37 | 1925/12 | “Slave to the Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
38 | 1925/12 | “Yonder Come the Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
39 | 1925/12 | “Titanic Man Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
40 | 1925/12 | “Chain Gang Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
41 | 1925/12 | “Bessemer Bound Blues” | Her Georgia Jazz Band |
42 | 1925/12 | “Oh My Babe Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
43 | 1925/12 | “Wringing and Twisting Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
44 | 1925/12 | “Stack O’Lee Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
45 | 1926/03 | “Broken Hearted Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
46 | 1926/03 | “Jealousy Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
47 | 1926/03 | “Seeking Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
48 | 1926/03 | “Mountain Jack Blues” | Jimmy Blythe (piano) |
49 | 1926/06 | “Down in the Basement” | Her Georgia Band |
50 | 1926/06 | “Sissy Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
51 | 1926/06 | “Broken Soul Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
52 | 1926/06 | “Trust No Man” | Lillian Henderson (piano) |
53 | 1926/11 | “Morning Hour Blues” | Jimmy Blythe (piano) Blind Blake (guitar) |
54 | 1926/11 | “Weepin’ Woman Blues” | Her Georgia Boys |
55 | 1926/11 | “Soon This Morning” | Her Georgia Band |
56 | 1926/12 | “Little Low Mamma Blues” | Blind Blake (guitar) possibly Leroy Picket (violin) |
57 | 1926/12 | “Grievin Hearted Blues” | Blind Blake (guitar) possibly Leroy Picket (violin) |
58 | 1926/12 | “Don’t Fish in My Sea” | Jimmy Blythe (piano) |
59 | 1927/08 | “Big Boy Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
60 | 1927/08 | “Blues Oh Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
61 | 1927/08 | “Damper Down Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
62 | 1927/08 | “Gone Daddy Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
63 | 1927/08 | “Oh Papa Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
64 | 1927/08 | “Misery Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
65 | 1927/08 | “Dead Drunk Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
66 | 1927/08 | “Slow Driving Moan” | Her Georgia Band |
67 | 1927/12 | “Blues the World Forgot—Part 1” | Her Georgia Band |
68 | 1927/12 | “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” | Her Georgia Band |
69 | 1927/12 | “Blues the World Forgot—Part 2” | Her Georgia Band |
70 | 1927/12 | “Hellish Rag” | Her Georgia Band |
71 | 1927/12 | “Georgia Cake Walk” | Her Georgia Band |
72 | 1927/12 | “New Bo-Weavil Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
73 | 1927/12 | “Moonshine Blues” | Her Georgia Band |
74 | 1927/12 | “Ice Bag Papa” | Her Georgia Band |
75 | 1928/06 | “Black Cat Hoot Owl Blues” | Her Tub Jug Washboard Band |
76 | 1928/06 | “Log Camp Blues” | Her Tub Jug Washboard Band |
77 | 1928/06 | “Hear Me Talking to You” | Her Tub Jug Washboard Band |
78 | 1928/06 | “Hustlin’ Blues” | Her Tub Jug Washboard Band |
79 | 1928/06 | “Prove It on Me Blues” | Her Tub Jug Washboard Band |
80 | 1928/06 | “Victim of the Blues” | Her Tub Jug Washboard Band |
81 | 1928/06 | “Traveling Blues” | Her Tub Jug Washboard Band |
82 | 1928/06 | “Deep Moaning Blues Blues” | Her Tub Jug Washboard Band |
83 | 1928/09 | “Daddy Goodbye Blues” | Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano) Tampa Red (guitar) |
84 | 1928/09 | “Sleep Talking Blues” | Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano) Tampa Red (guitar) |
85 | 1928/09 | “Tough Luck Blues” | Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano) Tampa Red (guitar) |
86 | 1928/09 | “Blame It on the Blues” | Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano) Tampa Red (guitar) |
87 | 1928/09 | “Sweet Rough Man” | Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano) Tampa Red (guitar) |
88 | 1928/09 | “Runaway Blues” | Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano) Tampa Red (guitar) |
89 | 1928/09 | “Screech Owl Blues” | Eddie Miller (piano) |
90 | 1928/09 | “Black Dust Blues” | Eddie Miller (piano) |
91 | 1928/09 | “Leaving This Morning” | Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano) Tampa Red (guitar) |
92 | 1928/09 | “Black Eye Blues” | Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano) Tampa Red (guitar) |
93 | 1928/10 | “Ma and Pa Poorhouse Blues” | Papa Charlie Jackson (duet & banjo) |
94 | 1928/10 | “Big Feeling Blues” | Papa Charlie Jackson (duet & banjo) |