Bertha Idaho

Bertha Idaho
Origin United States
Genres Classic female blues
Occupation(s) Singer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1920s
Labels Columbia

Bertha Idaho was an American classic female blues singer.[1] She was active as a recording artist in the late-1920s, but recorded only four songs in 1928 and 1929.

Little is known of her life outside of music.

Career

Idaho's singing career commenced in 1910s, in a traveling song and dance act with her husband John.[2] In 1915, the twosome appeared with the Florida Blossom Minstrels and, in Milledgeville, Georgia, performed "Jelly Roll" and "Brother Low Down".[3]

The full catalogue of recorded material in her lifetime comprised the songs; "Graveyard Love" (1928), "You've Got the Right Eye, But You're Peeping at the Wrong Keyhole" (1928), "Down on Pennsylvania Avenue (1929)", and "Move It on Out of Here" (1929).[1] These were recorded at two separate sessions on May 2, 1928, and May 25, 1929, respectively in New York.[4]

In 1929, Tom Delaney had composed "Down on Pennsylvania Avenue", using in the lyrics his own bad luck lines; "Now if you want good lovin' and want it cheap, just drop around about the middle of the week, when the broad is broke and can't pay rent, get good lovin' boys, for 15 cents."[5] There is some confusion as to whether Delaney, or Clarence Williams, supplied the piano accompaniment to Idaho's recordings.[6] According to the gramophone record labels, three of the songs were composed by Delaney, but "You've Got the Right Eye, But You're Peeping at the Wrong Keyhole" credits Idaho as the songwriter.[7]

Her stage career ran alongside her recordings. In 1928, she starred in Mississippi Steppers, a touring review in the vaudeville style, and the following year in Georgia Peaches, which she also co-produced.[8]

Legacy

Idaho's work may have remained obscure, but for two main factors.

Firstly in 1959, John Fahey's debut album, Blind Joe Death was released by Takoma Records. Less than one hundred copies of this first album were pressed.[9] However, Fahey included Idaho's name into the liner notes for the album,[1] which gained more significance via later re-recordings.[10]

In addition, Rosetta Reitz's music collections were built on old 78 rpm records of lesser-known performers including Bertha Idaho, Valaida Snow, Georgia White, Bessie Brown, and Maggie Jones; plus long lost songs from better-known artists such as Ida Cox, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Mae West. Reitz's collection paid particular attention to the blues queens of the 1920s.[11][12] Reitz's reissuing output was on her own Rosetta Records label.[13]

Compilation discography

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Eugene Chadbourne. "Bertha Idaho : Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  2. ↑ "Bertha Idaho "Down On Pennsylvania Avenue"". Baltimoreorless.com. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  3. ↑ Abbott, Lynn (2007). Ragged But Right: Black Traveling Shows, Coon Songs, and the Dark Pathway to Blues and Jazz (First ed.). University Press of Mississippi. p. 298. ISBN 978-1-57806-901-9.
  4. ↑ Laird, Ross (1996). Moanin' Low: A Discography of Female Popular Vocal Recordings, 1920-1933 (First ed.). Greenwood Press. p. 278. ISBN 0-313-29241-8.
  5. ↑ "Bertha Idaho : Songs". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  6. ↑ Bruce Bastin (1995). Red River Blues : The Blues Tradition in the Southeast (First ed.). Illini Books. p. 47. ISBN 0-252-06521-2.
  7. ↑ "John Tefteller's Museum 78's, by Label". Bluesimages.com. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  8. ↑ Peterson, Bernard L. (1993). A Century of Musicals in Black and White (First ed.). Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 143 & 237. ISBN 0-313-26657-3.
  9. ↑ According to The Rolling Stone Record Guide, First Edition (1979), "there were only ninety-five copies of the record available for distribution." The Guide assigns the record 5 stars out of 5.
  10. ↑ "5-Star albums listing" (Second ed.). The Rolling Stone Record Guide. 1983. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  11. ↑ Martin, Douglas (November 14, 2008). "Rosetta Reitz, Champion of Jazz Women, Dies at 84". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  12. ↑ Sutro, Dirk (April 12, 1992). "Ladies Sing the Blues Rosetta Reitz single-handedly runs the only label devoted to keeping alive rare jazz and blues recordings by female artists". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  13. ↑ "Rosetta Records illustrated discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  14. ↑ "Bertha Idaho : Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-09-06.

External links

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