Despite the early history of music residing in the hands of men, the real stars of the music in the 1920s were actually women in the shape of major artists like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. Filled with raw emotion, intelligence and plenty of humour, the content spread over the 3 discs is a veritable musical history lesson CD1 1. Lady Sings The Blues - Billie Holiday 2. New Blow Top Blues - Dinah Washington 3. Today I Sing The Blues - Aretha Franklin 4. Walking Blues - Big Mama Thornton 5. I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle - La Vern Baker 6. Hesitating Blues - Lena Horne 7. Uneasy Blues - Marylin Scott 8. Nobody Knows When You're Down And Out - Bessie Smith 9. Waiter, Make Mine Blues - Anita O'Day 10. Empty Bed Blues - Della Reese 11. Down In The Alley - Memphis Minnie 12. Confessin' The Blues - Dakota Staton 13. Aged And Mellow Blues - Little Esther 14. Black Coffee - Sarah Vaughan 15. R.B. Blues - Ruth Brown 16. New York City Blues -Peggy Lee 17. I Cried And Cried -Varetta Dillard 18. How Long Blues -Odetta 19. Freight Train Blues -Trixie Smith 20. Lover Man -June Christy 21. St. Louis Blues -Eartha Kitt 22. Maybelle's Blues -Big Maybelle 23. Baby, I Don´t Cry Over You -Billie Holiday 24. Since I fell for You - Dinah Washington 25. Long, Long Journey - Etta Jones CD2 1. Fever- Peggy Lee 2. No Headstone On My Grave - Esther Phillips 3. Drinking Again - Dinah Washington 4. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues - Billie Holiday 5. No More Cryin' Blues - Mabel Scott 6. A Blues Serenade - Anita O'Day 7. Salty Papa Blues - Etta Jones 8. Hard Times - Big Mama Thornton 9. Yellow Dog Blues - Eartha Kitt 10. It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day) - Ruth Brown 11. I Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl - Bessie Smith 12. Good Morning Heartache - Carmen McRae 13. Ain't To Be Played With - Big Maybelle 14. (Blue) By Myself - Aretha Franklin 15. Weak For The Man - Dakota Staton 16. Take Me Back - Linda Hayes 17. I'm A Fool To Want You - Billie Holiday 18. Beale Street Blues - Lena Horne 19. Pleasing Man Blues - Helen Humes 20. Gimme A Pigfoot - La Vern Baker 21. Plow Hand Blues - Rosetta Howard 22. Blues for a Day - Dinah Washington 23. Double Crossing Blues - Little Esther 24. New Bumble Bee - Memphis Minnie 25. Cry Me A River - Julie London CD3 1. Anita's Blues - Anita O'Day 2. Mad About The Boy - Dinah Washington 3. Friendless Blues - Eartha Kitt 4. Every Day I Have The Blues - Donna Hightower 5. I Smell A Rat - Big Mama Thornton 6. Cryin' And Singin' The Blues - Little Esther 7. Preaching The Blues - LaVern Baker 8. I Cry By Night - Kay Starr 9. Overwork Blues - Etta Jones 10. No More Trouble Out of Me - Big Maybelle 11. I'm Left With Blues In My Heart - Dakota Staton 12. I Fell For You - Miss Rhapsody 13. Blues In the Night - Peggy Lee 14. My Funny Valentine - Dinah Shore 15. Blues For Bojangles - Anita O'Day 16. Please Tell Me Baby - Varetta Dillard 17. Gabbin' Blues (Don't Run My Business) - Big Maybelle 18. Just Out Of Reach (LP Version)- Esther Phillips 19. Careless Love - Lena Horne 20. Wise Woman Blues - Dinah Washington 21. Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday 22. Back Water Blues - LaVern Baker 23. Don't Leave Me Now - Dakota Staton 24. 'Round Midnight - Sarah Vaughan 25. Bye Bye Blues - Eydie Gorme