Doors Open 7pm
1st Set 8.15pm
JULIA TITUS presents MA BESSIE
Nicknamed the "Empress of the Blues”, Bessie Smith was the
most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is often
regarded as one of the greatest performers of her era and was a major influence
on other jazz singers. Ma Bessie and her band perform a narrated show,
featuring music from the period and showcasing many of Bessie's songs.
The show chronicles Bessie's life from a one-room shack in
Blue Goose Hollow, to becoming the highest-paid black entertainer of that time,
to the tragic accident on Route 61.
The band features vocalist Julia Titus aka Ma Bessie,
Dominic Barnett (keys), Clare Hirst (sax) and Richard Sadler (bass).
"She's awesome" Rob Da Bank, Festival Owner and
Curator, Camp Bestival
"Musical highlight" Paddy Maguire,
Festival Artistic Director, Great British Rhythm & Blues
Festival
"... there are not many singers around with Bessie's
style and certainly few in this country. An exception is the larger than
life and hugely talented Julia Titus" Michael Eagleton, Marlow Jazz
Club