Effective period / Period of releases: 1961

In the 1920s, these four ladies who shared the name of Smith, were dominating female blues singing. Bessie Smith, Clara Smith, Mamie Smith, and Trixie Smith were not related, and rarely ever recorded together. They appeared and worked independently with various blues/jazz musicians and other vocalists of that time period, including pianists Clarence Williams and Fletcher Henderson, and vocalists Ma Rainey and Jimmy Rushing.