The Recorded Sound Archives (RSA) is a unit of FAU Libraries Special Collections department. We are located in the Wimberly Library on FAU's Boca Raton campus.

Originally established in 2002 as a small project dedicated to the preservation of recorded Jewish music, it has matured into a robust digitization operation for all types of sound recordings.

Bessie Smith, the World's Greatest Blues Singer


Additional information (PDF) is only available
through the Research Station
Collection(s)Jazz
Catalogue NumberCV 1041
Matrix Number N/A
Record Label Columbia
Record Format33 1/3 RPM - 12"
Shelf Number012358
Number of Tracks32
Date RecordedN/A
Album Artists
Notes N/A

Recordings restricted by copyright will only play 45 seconds to give you a sense of what that recording originally sounded like. These recordings can be identified by the words (Research Station) in the music player.

If a song listed below has not been digitized yet, it will NOT show up within the player. If you need us to digitize this song/album, you can make a formal request here.
1 - Down Hearted Blues
Composer(s) : A. Hunter; L. Austin
2 - Gulf Coast Blues
Composer(s) : C. Williams
3 - Aggravatin' Papa
Composer(s) : R. Turk; J. R. Robinson; A. Britt
4 - Beale Street Mama
Composer(s) : R. Turk; J. R. Robinson
5 - Baby Won't You Please Come Home
Composer(s) : C. Williams; C. Warfield
6 - Oh Daddy (You Won't Have No Mama At All)
Composer(s) : E. Herbert; W. Russell
7 - Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
Composer(s) : P. Grainger; E. Robbins
8 - Keeps On A-Rainin' (Papa, He Can't Make No Time)
Composer(s) : S. Williams; M. Kortlander
9 - Mama's Got the Blues
Composer(s) : S. Martin; C. Williams
10 - Outside of That
Composer(s) : N/A
11 - Baby Have Pity on Me
Composer(s) : C. Williams; J. H. Trent
12 - Bleeding Hearted Blues
Composer(s) : L. Austin
13 - Lady Luck Blues
Composer(s) : W. Weber; C. Williams
14 - Yodling Blues
Composer(s) : C. Williams; A. Hill
15 - Midnight Blues
Composer(s) : B. Thompson; S. Williams
16 - If You Don't, I Know Who Will
Composer(s) : C. Williams; C. Smith; T. Brymn
17 - Nobody in Town Can Bake A Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine
Composer(s) : C. Williams; S. Williams
18 - See If I'll Care
Composer(s) : C. Williams; A. Hill
19 - Baby Have Pity On Me
Composer(s) : B. Moll; C. Williams
20 - On Revival Day ( Rhythmic Spiritual)
Composer(s) : A. Razaf
21 - Moan, You Mourners
Composer(s) : S. Williams
22 - Hustlin' Dan
Composer(s) : J. Crawford
23 - Black Mountain Blues
Composer(s) : H. Cole
24 - In The House Blues
Composer(s) : B. Smith
25 - Long Old Road
Composer(s) : B. Smith
26 - Blue Blue
Composer(s) : B. Smith
27 - Shipwreck Blues
Composer(s) : B. Smith
28 - Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl
Composer(s) : C. Williams; D. Small; J. Brymn
29 - Safety Mama
Composer(s) : B. Smith
30 - Do Your Duty
Composer(s) : W. Wilson
31 - Do Your Duty
Composer(s) : W. Wilson
32 - Gimme A Pigfoot
Composer(s) : L. Wilson; W. Wilson
33 - Down In the Dumps
Composer(s) : L. Wilson; W. Wilson