TRIXIE SMITH — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 1 (1922-1924) DOCD-5332 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Part of the European Document label's giant prewar blues reissue series includes two Trixie Smith CDs that repackage all of her recordings. The second disc is the preferred acquisition, but Vol. 1 is not without interest. The majority of Smith's recordings (particularly in the early days) were vaudeville and pop songs, but on the relatively rare occasions when she sang a lowdown blues, she fared quite well. The first volume starts out with four numbers that are dated either January or March 1922 here, but are probably from September and November 1921. Trixie Smith improved on records as time went on; her first few numbers have rather dated accompaniment. In fact, despite the presence of pianist James P. Johnson (who is well buried on two numbers), her musicians do not get very stimulating until after the first 20 of the 25 numbers. Most notable among the selections are "He May Be Your Man" (which has some familiar lyrics), "My Man Rocks Me" (a song that would be among Trixie's most famous), the heated "Ride Jockey Ride," and a couple of train songs ("Freight Train Blues" and "Choo Choo Blues"), which would become one of her specialties. This is historic music that set the stage for Trixie's later, generally superior performances.  Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Trixie Smith–    Desperate Blues (take 2) 3:13
2    Trixie Smith–    Trixies Blues 3:09
3    Trixie Smith–    You Missed A Good Woman When You Picked All Over Me (take 2) 3:09
Orchestra – James P. Johnson's Harmony Eight
4    Trixie Smith–    Long Lost, Weary Blues (take 3) 3:03
Orchestra – James P. Johnson's Harmony Eight
5    Trixie Smith–    He May Be Your Man    2:46
6    Trixie Smith–    Pensacola Blues    3:08
7    Trixie Smith–    Give Me That Old Slow Drag 2:51
Orchestra – The Jazz Masters
8    Trixie Smith–    My Man Rocks Me 2:52
Orchestra – The Jazz Masters
9    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    "I'm Through" With You (As I Can Be) 3:22
10    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Take It Daddy, Its All Yours 2:45
11    Trixie Smith–    I'm Gonna Get You 3:06
12    Trixie Smith–    2 A.M. Blues 3:16
13    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Log Cabin Blues    3:15
14    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Voo Doo Blues    3:03
15    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Tired Of Waitin' Blues    3:06
16    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Triflin' Blues    2:53
17    Trixie Smith–    I Don't Know And I Don't Care Blues (take 1) 2:49
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
18    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators*–    Freight Train Blues    3:05
19    Trixie Smith–    Sorrowful Blues 3:00
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
20    Trixie Smith–    Don't Shake It No More (take 2)    3:00
21    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Praying Blues (take 2) 3:10
22    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Ada Jane's Blues 3:06
23    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Ride Jockey Ride 2:55
24    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Choo Choo Blues (take 2) 3:08
25    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators–    Choo Choo Blues (take 3) 3:04
Credits :
Banjo – Charlie Dixon (tracks: 17 to 19, 21 to 25)
Banjo [Prob.] – Charlie Dixon (tracks: 15, 16)
Clarinet – Buster Bailey (tracks: 23 to 25), Don Redman (tracks: 17 to 19, 21, 22)
Clarinet [Prob.] – Edgar Campbell (3) (tracks: 15, 16)
Cornet [Poss./Or] – Howard Scott (2) (tracks: 21, 22)
Cornet [Prob./Or] – Elmer Chambers (tracks: 21, 22)
Cornet [Prob.] – Elmer Chambers (tracks: 15, 16), Howard Scott (2) (tracks: 17 to 19)
Effects – Unknown Artist (tracks: 18, 24, 25)
Percussion – Unknown Artist (tracks: 22)
Piano – Fletcher Henderson (tracks: 17 to 19, 23 to 25), James P. Johnson (tracks: 3, 4), Unknown Artist (tracks: 20)
Piano [Presumably] – Fletcher Henderson (tracks: 7, 8)
Piano [Prob.] – Fletcher Henderson (tracks: 15, 16, 21, 22)
Tenor Saxophone [Prob.] – Walter Watkins (tracks: 3, 4)
Trombone – Charlie Green (tracks: 21 to 25)
Trombone [Poss.] – Ted Nixon* (tracks: 17 to 19)
Trombone [Prob.] – George Brashear (tracks: 15, 16)
Trumpet – Elmer Chambers (tracks: 23 to 25)
Trumpet [Poss.] – Russell Smith (tracks: 9, 10)
Violin – Unknown Artist (tracks: 20)
Vocals – Trixie Smith

TRIXIE SMITH — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 2 (1925-1939) DOCD-5333 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Trixie Smith was a fine vaudeville-style singer who could also do a powerful job on the blues when called for. The second of two Document CDs that contain all of her recordings starts out with 13 selections from 1925. Smith is joined by her "Down Home Syncopators" (actually the Original Memphis Five) on the first two songs, "Everybody Loves My Baby" and "How Come You Do Me Like You Do." She is heard on two sets in which she is joined by a quintet that includes trombonist Charlie Green, clarinetist Buster Bailey and most notably Louis Armstrong, and is featured later in the year with several top Fletcher Henderson sidemen. On these dates, the more memorable selections include the masochistic "You've Got to Beat Me to Keep Me," "He Likes It Slow" and her classic train song "Railroad Blues." There are also two takes of "Messin' Around" from 1926 in which Trixie is heard as part of Jimmy Blythe's Ragamuffins, a band including clarinetist Johnny Dodds and the legendary cornetist Freddie Keppard. The final eight selections on this 23-cut CD are taken from Smith's May 26, 1938 session, with one number, "No Good Man," dating from the following year and finding her assisted by a band that includes trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen and clarinetist Barney Bigard. The 1938 set matches Trixie with the fiery young trumpeter Charlie Shavers, a restrained Sidney Bechet on soprano, and a four-piece rhythm section. Although she had not recorded in a dozen years, Trixie Smith is in prime form on such numbers as "Freight Train Blues," two versions of "My Daddy Rocks Me" and "He May Be Your Man (But He Comes to See Me Sometime)." Apparently an alcohol problem shortened both Smith's career and life, but one does not hear any decline during these excellent performances. Highly recommended, while the less essential Vol. 1 is worth picking up too. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Trixie's Down Home Syncopators – Everybody Loves My Baby (Take 6) 2:49
2    Trixie's Down Home Syncopators – How Come You Do Me Like You Do (Take 6) 3:00
3    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators – You've Got To Beat Me To Keep Me    3:02
4    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    Mining Camp Blues (Take 1) 3:00
5    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    Mining Camp Blues (Take 2) 2:53
6    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    The World's Jazz Crazy And So Am I (Take 1)    3:00
7    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    The World's Jazz Crazy And So Am I (Take 2)    3:00
8    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    Railroad Blues (Take 1)    2:56
9    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    Railroad Blues (Take 2)    2:52
10    Trixie Smith–    Everybody's Doing That Charleston Now (Take 1) 3:07
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
11    Trixie Smith–    He Likes It Slow (Take 2) 2:51
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
12    Trixie Smith–    Black Bottom Hop 2:52
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
13    Trixie Smith–    Love Me Like You Used To Do 2:47
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
14    Jimmy Blythe And His Ragamuffins–    Messin' Around (Take 1)    2:55
15    Jimmy Blythe And His Ragamuffins–    Messin' Around (Take 2)    2:51
16    Trixie Smith–    Freight Train Blues    3:13
17    Trixie Smith–    Trixie Blues    3:09
18    Trixie Smith–    My Daddy Rocks Me    2:50
19    Trixie Smith–    My Daddy Rocks Me No. 2    2:47
20    Trixie Smith–    He May Be Your Man (But He Comes To See Me Sometime)    2:40
21    Trixie Smith–    Jack I'm Mellow    2:39
22    Trixie Smith–    My Unusual Man    2:43
23    Trixie Smith–    No Good Man    2:46
Credits :
Banjo – Charlie Dixon (tracks: 3 to 13)
Bass – Richard Fullbright (tracks: 16 to 22), Unknown Artist (tracks: 23)
Brass Bass – Ralph Escudero (tracks: 10 to 13)
Clarinet – Barney Bigard (tracks: 23), Buster Bailey (tracks: 3 to 13)
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy Lytell (tracks: 1, 2)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Johnny Dodds (tracks: 14, 15)
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Sidney Bechet (tracks: 16 to 22)
Cornet – Freddie Keppard (tracks: 14, 15), Joe Smith (tracks: 10 to 13), Louis Armstrong (tracks: 3 to 9)
Drums – O'Neill Spencer (tracks: 16 to 22)
Drums [Prob.] – Jack Roth (tracks: 1, 2), Sidney Catlett (tracks: 23)
Guitar – Teddy Bunn (tracks: 16 to 22), Unknown Artist (tracks: 23)
Percussion [Tapping] – Unknown Artist (tracks: 11)
Piano – Fletcher Henderson (tracks: 3 to 13), Jimmy Blythe (tracks: 14, 15), Sammy Price (tracks: 16 to 22), Unknown Artist (tracks: 23)
Piano [Prob.] – Frank Signorelli (tracks: 1, 2)
Trombone – Charlie Green (tracks: 3 to 13), Miff Mole (tracks: 1, 2)
Trombone [Poss.] – Roy Palmer (tracks: 14, 15)
Trumpet – Charlie Shavers (tracks: 16 to 22)
Trumpet [Prob.] – Henry "Red" Allen (tracks: 23), Phil Napoleon (tracks: 1, 2)
Vocals – Trixie Smith
Wood Block – Jasper Taylor (tracks: 14, 15)

SIDNEY BECHET – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 593 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The second in a series of CD reissues featuring Sidney Bechet has quite a bit of variety. The unique soprano-saxophonist is heard with Noble Sissle's showband, dominating a small group sponsored by Sissle, backing blues singer Trixie Smith and the team of Grant & Wilson, and leading his own session with a sextet that includes baritonist Ernie Caceres, and on "Hold Tight," a vocal by "The Two Fish Mongers." Enjoyable if not quite essential music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :