The Classic Blues Era

Before the country blues of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Blake, and Robert Johnson, it was the classic blues that was all the rage in the early 1920s. Female classic blues singers, such as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Ethel Waters, introduced a refined type of blues that was defined by its jazz sound and the clear enunciation of the singer. While the prominence of this form of blues was short, it was an important precursor to the popularity of the country blues.