Ma Bessie and her Pigfoot Band
Building on her passion for the Empress of the Blues, Julia Titus started to perform as Ma Bessie in mid-2015 to share the music of Bessie Smith and her contemporaries with a new generation of listeners. Mixing Julia’s rich, warm vocal sound with a dynamic group of musicians that look as well as sound the part, Ma Bessie combines classic blues and jazz tunes from the inter-war years with a selection of original songs and hand-picked covers from the last 50 years of popular music.
The Ma Bessie repertoire includes classics such as ‘Careless Love’, ‘Nobody Knows When You’re Down And Out’ and, of course, ‘Gimme A Pig Foot (And A Bottle Of Beer)’.
With sell-out performances across the UK and a growing reputation for their authentic sound, Ma Bessie is a FSJB night not to be missed!
FSJB@thebutler presents Ma Bessie and her Pigfoot Band live on Thursday June 1st, with David Crocker spinning the vinyl for Universal Records before, in between and after the band til 11.30pm.
https://www.facebook.com/MaBessieBand
“No one does Bessie Smith better than Ma Bessie, and we are lucky to have her as a local artist here in Reading.”
John Cee Stannard, Blues in Britain, issue 187, July 2017
“As Ma Bessie, Julia transported us back to the golden days of the twenties and thirties. Not only were we treated to so many fabulous blues standards, but also a hatful of Julia’s own compositions, all perfectly flowing into each other as we were expertly guided by Julia on a magical, musical journey. …. Julia and Co became the latest visiting artists to bring the house down and thoroughly deserve the standing ovation that they received”.
Haydn Hart, Tuesday Night Music Club, Coulsdon, March 2020
FSJBmusic 