CD review: Ottilie Patterson – The First Lady Of British Blues: Video

By far the outstanding, most powerful female British Blues/R&B singer of her era, former Belfast art teacher OTTILIE PATTERSON sang with Chris Barber’s band between 1955-73.

Although the slight, demure Ottilie looked like a shy Irish coleen, she sang like a white Bessie Smith, as Louis Armstrong once famously observed. She recorded prolifically, both as a solo artiste and as an ensemble band member, and this compilation is drawn from both sources.

Includes a handful of solo singles, plus seven sides from her critically-acclaimed 1961 solo LP, ‘Blues Book Vol.1’, alongside tracks from The Chris Barber Band’s three biggest-selling albums, ‘In Concert, Vols 1, 2 & 3’.

Features duets with Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee and Louis Jordan. Ottilie was an exceptional live performer, and 10 of these sides are either from official Live albums or gigs which Barber recorded professionally, but were unreleased at the time.

1. Ottilie Patterson – I Hate a Man Like You (Live)
2. Ottilie Patterson – Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out
3. Ottilie Patterson – Beale St. Blues
4. Ottilie Patterson – Kay Cee Rider
   05. Ottilie Patterson – I Love My Baby
5. Ottilie Patterson – Mean Mistreater (Live)
6. Ottilie Patterson – Lowland Blues (Live)
7. Ottilie Patterson & Sister Rosetta Tharpe – When the Saints Go Marching In (Live)
8. Ottilie Patterson, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee – When Things Go Wrong (Live)
9. Ottilie Patterson – Moonshine Man (Live)
10. Ottilie Patterson – Georgia Grind (Live)
11. Ottilie Patterson – Strange Things Happening Every Day (Live)
12. Ottilie Patterson – Trombone Cholly
13. Ottilie Patterson – As Long as I’m Moving
14. Ottilie Patterson – Bad Spell Blues
15. Ottilie Patterson – Kid Man Blues
16. Ottilie Patterson – Four Point Blues
17. Ottilie Patterson – It’s All Over
18. Ottilie Patterson – Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean
19. Ottilie Patterson – Tell Me Why
20. Ottilie Patterson – Me and My Chauffeur Blues
21. Ottilie Patterson – Lordy Lordy It Hurts so Bad
22. Ottilie Patterson – Only the Blues
23. Ottilie Patterson – Can’t Afford to Do It (Live)
24. Ottilie Patterson – Weeping Willow Blues (Live)
25. Ottilie Patterson – I Hate Myself (For Being so Mean to You)
26. Ottilie Patterson & Louis Jordan – T’aint Nobody’s Business If I Do