Laurent Filipe Presents A Tribute to Bessie Smith “Empress of the Blues”

with Jacinta and the Laurent Filipe Sextet

Bessie Smith took the blues from traveling shows, up to the Vaudeville circuits and finally to  the great theatres of the north.  Through  powerful and soulful renditions which transcended the triviality of the lyrics, Bessie conveyed an unprecedented majesty to the blues form. In all the recordings she made for Columbia Records, from 1923 until her tragic death in 1937 her unmistakable voice marked forever the history of blues.  Due to her paramount importance in the musical scene of the early 20 th century Bessie Smith would remain forever known as “The Empress of the Blues”.

This show, approximately 90 minutes long, consists of a retrospective tribute to Bessie Smith.  It includes a vast selection of adapted and re-arranged songs which cover the most significant of Bessie´s recorded works for Columbia between 1923 and 1930.

Personel

Jacinta (vocals)

                        Laurent Filipe (trumpet)

                        Mario Santos (clarinets and saxes)

                        Gregg Moore (trombone and banjo)

                        Rodrigo  Gonçalves (piano)

                        Alexandre Frazão (drums)

                        Massimo Cavalli (double and electric basses)

“Jacinta exceeded all expectations.  A unforgetable performance”. (António Rubio in “Correio da Manhã”).