Personalities | Sara Martin | Early Years | Jazz & Blues
(Vocals, 1884–1955)
Martin, an early classic blues singer, was signed by Clarence Williams for OKeh Records in 1922, at the beginning of the blues craze. While she was a pop-style singer, she was also able to pitch the blues in a rough-and-ready way. She recorded with Williams-led jazz groups, with such illustrious accompanists as King Oliver and Sidney Bechet (on some sessions she sang as ‘Margaret Johnson’ or ‘Sally Roberts’).
Martin was often accompanied by Thomas Morris (cornet) and Charlie Irvis (trombone), both blues specialists. On ‘Death Sting Me Blues’ (1928), Martin matches Joe ‘King’ Oliver’s intensity, and on ‘Atlanta Blues’ (1923) she delivers the old folk melody with great dignity. Her diction was clear, and she had a good ear for plangent blues that were not over-worn. In 1929, she appeared on film with the immortal Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson in Hello Bill. She left showbusiness in the Depression and returned to Louisville.
Styles & Forms | Early Years | Jazz & Blues
Personalities | New Orleans Rhythm Kings | Early Years | Jazz & Blues
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