Chris Strachwitz explains on the liner notes to “When Women Sang the Blues” that Mamie Smith made the first ever vocal blues recording “Crazy Blues” in 1920. During the early years of that decade, many other women who toured the Black theatre circuit were recorded singing the blues, including Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey. Most of the women on this compilation, such as Lillian Glinn (1902–78), were recorded a decade after this early period, though they were sometimes influenced by earlier female vaudeville recording artists. "Down-Home Music: The Story of Arhoolie Records" is on display, post-security, in Terminal 2. http://bit.ly/StoryofArhoolie
This video was posted on March 27, 2019.