THE songs of Bessie Smith will be performed at Dorchester Corn Exchange on Saturday, January 27.

Nicknamed the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s.

She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and was a major influence on other jazz singers.

Ma Bessie (Julia Titus) and her blues troupe (internationally acclaimed drummer, Sam Kelly with Musical Director, Paul Jobson on keyboards, Tony Qunta on acoustic guitar, Richard Sadler on upright bass, Chuck Lloyd on saxophone and Kevin Davy on trumpet) perform to a narrated show, featuring music from the era and showcasing many of Bessie’s songs.

Bessie Smith, Empress of Blues and Jazz chronicles her life from a one-room shack in Blue Goose Hollow, to becoming the highest-paid black entertainer of that time, to the tragic accident on Route 61 in September 1937 that ended her life aged 43 years.

Call Dorchester Arts for tickets and more information.