• Track Listing

Victoria Spivey was a blues and jazz singer who enjoyed significant popularity during the 1920s and '30s, performing with many well-known accompanists and ensembles, with a vivacious personality that made her a successful stage performer, later making a comeback into prominence in the 1960s after spending many years involved in religious music. Most notably, she recorded a considerable number of sides with the great guitarist Lonnie Johnson, and their collaborations represent some of her most highly-regarded work. She also worked with other major figures of the day like Clarence Williams, King Oliver, Henry 'Red' Allen and Louis Armstrong, as well as leading her own ensembles in the '30s. This 48-track 2-CD collection comprises a substantial proportion of her releases from her studio debut in 1926 through to 1937, after which she made no significant recordings until the '60s. It draws from many of her sessions, including performances with all the artists mentioned above, and provides an enjoyable cross-section of her core career, giving a platform for her distinctive voice which was equally effective working with single guitar or piano accompaniment or larger jazz-oriented bands.