The cover art"s terrible, and this isn"t as good an introduction to the Empress of the Blues as is The Collection, but Sings the Blues does contain some quintessential Bessie Smith: "Dying Gambler"s Blues," "Nashville Women"s Blues," "Standin" in the Rain Blues," and "Blue Spirit Blues" are all here, as well as the rambunctious (and occasionally startlingly explicit) "Kitchen Man." All told, it"s a great value. --Genevieve Williams