Ma Rainey 5CD Box Set Review: 118 Rare Recordings Restore the Legacy of a Feminist Blues and Jazz Pioneer

It is rather refreshing that, in an era of artificial intelligence and faceless machine made music, there is not only interest in, but genuine demand for, a multidisc, 118 track boxed set dedicated to recordings by Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, the “Mother of the Blues,” including four previously unreleased alternate takes.

Ma Rainey: Mother of the Blues, The Complete Paramount Recordings 1923 to 1928 promises improved sound while offering a compelling portrait of this underappreciated artist. The set also includes a 100 page book featuring unpublished photographs, detailed biographies, notes for each track, news clippings, period advertisements, and a complete discography.

A pioneer on many levels, Rainey was a successful Black female musician who maintained control over her work in an industry that continues to exploit and mislead artists. The official materials accompanying the set explain:

“By the time Paramount signed her in 1923, she had the standing to negotiate on her own terms. She managed her own career for nearly thirty years and, according to registered copyrights, wrote or co wrote at least a third of what she recorded, at a time when almost no performer, and few women anywhere in the business, held that kind of control.”

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While collectors understandably prize original 78 RPM recordings such as these, the reality is that discs produced before tape and digital technology, during the nascent and effectively direct to disc era of recorded music, are exceptionally rare. It is therefore especially encouraging to see this music preserved and improved through the latest technology and restoration expertise. Although the original discs have survived for more than a century, no doubt because of careful collectors, they will eventually deteriorate.

Featuring audio restoration by engineer Doug Benson, the set compiles the best surviving version of each 78 RPM side, as the individual recordings were known. Modern demixing software apparently does not work particularly well with early acoustic recordings, which account for roughly half of this collection, so the producers instead chose to remaster the material while remaining faithful to the sound of the original releases. Some surface noise is inevitable, but preserving it ultimately helps retain the music’s overall fidelity.

So how does it sound, you ask? While the label could not send me the entire boxed set for review, I did receive a very useful 22 song advance sampler CD that provides a strong overview. In short, it is highly enjoyable and, considering that these recordings are now roughly 100 years old, the sound quality is remarkably good. Do not expect Abbey Road by The Beatles or the latest Billie Eilish album, but this remains a vivid and authentic listening experience.

The recordings appear to be in remarkably good condition, given their age and scarcity. The music itself is often astonishing, particularly in its explicit, honest, and direct treatment of sexuality and independence on songs such as the groundbreaking “Prove It on Me,” “Shave ’Em Dry,” and “Dead Drunk Blues.”

Available now from Black Swan Records, named in tribute to the pioneering Black owned label founded in the 1920s, the set also reflects an important historical connection. J. Mayo Williams, who distributed the original Black Swan label, became Paramount’s recording director during the year Rainey signed with the company. Ma Rainey: Mother of the Blues, The Complete Paramount Recordings 1923 to 1928 can be ordered through the official website or Jazzology for $125.

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Music

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound Quality

Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc.  You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.

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