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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSMITH, Clara(b c1894, Spartanburg SC; d 3 Feb. '35, Detroit MI) Blues singer. She worked in black southern vaudeville from c'10, in NYC '25--31 in many shows, revues incl. her own Black Bottom, Clara Smith Revue '27, all-black Western musical Trouble At The Ranch '31 in Philadelphia; worked in Cleveland OH, then back in NYC for Harlem Madness '33. She recorded for Columbia '23--32, with Fletcher Henderson accompanying her at first; with her own Triflin' Trio; often with Porter Grainger on kazoo or piano and also with pianists Lem Fowler, James P. Johnson; on one '24 date her Jazz Band incl. Henderson, Don Redman, Charlie Green (according to Pop Memories, 'Chicago Blues' was no. 15 hit), on a '25 date Henderson with Louis Armstrong, on a '30 date guitar and vocal duet by Lonnie Johnson. Her duets with Bessie '23 were 'Far Away Blues' and 'I'm Going Back To My Used To Be'. Bessie did not normally tolerate competition; on record her more powerful voice outclasses Clara's thinner one, but Clara was highly regarded, more versatile than Bessie, doing novelties and pop songs ('When My Sugar Walks Down The Street', '25). There were three LPs of collected tracks on Vintage Jazz Mart label (VJM). |