Edna Hicks Vol. 1 (1923)

Edna Hicks had a promising career that was abruptly terminated by her accidental incendiary death in 1924. When most of her recordings were reissued by Document in the '90s, even many seasoned classic blues lovers were surprised to learn of her existence. Edna Landreaux, daughter of Victor and Rena Landreaux, was born in New Orleans on October 14, 1895, and was performing in stage shows at theaters throughout New York City as early as 1916. From her second marriage she gained the surname Hicks. Her half-sister Elizabeth outlived her by more than 35 years and enjoyed a lengthy career using the name Lizzie Miles. It was Lizzie who pulled a string or two and secured a Victor recording date for Edna on March 21, 1923 with Phil Ohman, pianist for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, as her accompanist. Their performance of "I'm Goin' Away Just to Wear You Off My Mind" (also recorded two weeks later by King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band) was originally released as the flipside of a Lizzie Miles record and serves as the opening track of this valuable and entertaining collection. Between June and November of 1923, Edna recorded for five different labels, mostly accompanied by pianists Clarence Johnson, Porter Grainger, Lemuel Fowler, or Charles A. Matson. On "You've Got Everything a Sweet Mama Needs But Me" and "Just Thinkin'," she had extra backing from small groups led by pianist Fletcher Henderson which collectively included cornetist Elmer Chambers, trombonist Teddy Nixon, clarinetist Don Redman, tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, banjoist Charlie Dixon, and drummer Kaiser Marshall. While there is pleasure to be had in hearing young Hawkins express himself on the tenor as early as 1923, the most intriguing treat in the entire set is Porter Grainger's surprisingly animated handling of a reed organ on "Tain't a Doggone Thing But the Blues." This song was also recorded by Edna's contemporaries Hazel Meyers, Dolly Perkins, and Virginia Liston, and each was posthumously honored with Document albums similar to this one.