Blues Music History Quiz

Who was the first black woman to release a blues record for a major company?

• Bessie Smith

• Mamie Smith

• Alberta Hunter

• Victoria Spivey

What was the title of the song recorded by Mamie Smith that sparked a trend in American culture?

• Down Hearted Blues

• Crazy Blues

• Classic Blues

• Race Records

Which singer was known as the most popular of the classic blues singers during the 1920s?

• Mamie Smith

• Gertrude "Ma" Rainey

• Bessie Smith

• Ethel Waters

What term was used to describe the female style of sassy, urban-sounding blues songs?

• Race Records

• Classic Blues

• Vaudeville Circuit

• Chitlin Circuit

Who was the first solo recording by a male blues singer for Paramount Records?

• Bessie Smith

• Blind Lemon Jefferson

• Charley Patton

• Robert Johnson

What was the new genre that emerged in 1926 as a result of Blind Lemon Jefferson's success?

• Jazz

• Classical Blues

• Male-dominated country blues

• Ragtime

Which record label was created by Harry Pace in 1920?

• Paramount Records

• Okeh Columbia

• Black Swan Records

• Victor Records

What was one of the goals of Black Swan Records according to historian David Suisman?

• To promote minstrel shows

• To cater to white audiences

• To support racial equality and justice

• To focus solely on blues music

Who was responsible for suggesting the name of the race recording company known as Black Swan?

• W. E. B. Du Bois

• David Suisman

• Walter White

• Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield

What type of music did Black Swan's repertoire mostly consist of?

• Blues

• Opera

• Classical

• Jazz