The Story of the Blues | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1959 | |||
Genre | ||||
Label | Jubilee | |||
Producer | Morty Paltiz | |||
Della Reese chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The Story of the Blues is a studio album by American singer Della Reese. It was released by Jubilee Records in 1959 and was the third studio album in her career. The album contained 11 tracks that told the story of blues music in chronological order and featured mostly blues standards (with the exception of two new songs). It was given a positive response by authors and music publications.
Although eventually transitioning into acting, Della Reese began her career as a singer. She signed with Jubilee Records in 1954 and recorded a variety of material in the genres of jazz, pop and blues. [3] The latter would be the musical style of Reese's third studio project. The Story of the Blues was based on stories told by the arranger Sy Oliver, who worked with blues performer Bessie Smith. Along with Reese's input, Oliver envisioned the album to chronologically tell the story of the genre through blues songs and spoken word narration. The album also featured production by Morty Palitz. [4] The Story of the Blues comprised 11 tracks. [2] The project featured mostly covers of blues standards such as "Squeeze Me" and "Stormy Weather". Only two original recordings were part of the project: the title track and "There's Always the Blues". [1]
The Story of the Blues was released in 1959 by Jubilee Records and was the third studio album in Reese's career. It was distributed as a vinyl LP offered in both mono and stereo formats. Six songs were included on "side 1" while five songs were included on "side 2". [4] Aithor Wal Friedwalkd found the album to be "the most ambitious of Reese's early projects" and theorized that its use of spoken word foreshadowed her career as an actress. [1] American Record Guide found it to be "one of the greatest albums ever produced .... telescoping 100 years of musical history into minutes, milestoning from the start of the blues to now." [5] The album received three out of five stars from AllMusic but did not have a written review. [2]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "The Story of the Blues" | 1:27 | |
2. | "Good Morning Blues" | 2:50 | |
3. | "Empty Bed Blues" | J. C. Johnson | 2:50 |
4. | "Squeeze Me" | 2:33 | |
5. | "You've Been a Good Old Wagon" | John Henry | 2:45 |
6. | "Sent for You Yesterday (And Here You Come Today)" |
| 2:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "St. James Infirmary" | Joe Primrose | 3:59 |
2. | "Lover Man" | 3:05 | |
3. | "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" | Ellington | 2:28 |
4. | "Stormy Weather" | 3:29 | |
5. | "There's Always the Blues" |
| 2:45 |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
North America | 1959 |
| Jubilee Records | [4] |
United Kingdom | London Recordings | [6] | ||
Japan | 1972 | Vinyl LP stereo | Jubilee Records | [7] |
2016 | Compact disc | [8] | ||
North America | circa 2020 |
| Parlophone Records | [9] |
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Delloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You Know?". In the late 1960s she hosted her own talk show, Della, which ran for 197 episodes. From 1975 she also starred in films, playing opposite Redd Foxx in Harlem Nights (1989), Martin Lawrence in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) and Elliott Gould in Expecting Mary (2010). Reese achieved continued success in the religious television drama Touched by an Angel (1994–2003), in which she played the leading role of Tess.
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