Drawing on the age-old predicament that 'friends' will flock to you when you are well off only to abandon you the minute your finances take a slump, this heartfelt blues ballad is performed exquisitely by the 'Empress of the Blues', Bessie Smith. The intense power of Smith's majestic vocals immediately captures the listener's attention and she infuses the song with profound pain and misery, evoking the spirit of the forthcoming Great Depression (for which the song unsurprisingly became something of an anthem). 'Nobody Knows You' has been covered by scores of blues, folk and rock artists throughout the decades, including Jimmy Witherspoon, Janis Joplin, Rod Stewart and Eric Clapton.

Links

http://www.pbs.org/jazz/time/time_depression.htm
A look at how the Great Depression affected jazz music.

http://redhotjazz.com
An invaluable resource on early jazz, with extensive biographies, essays and downloadable tracks.

http://www.rootsandrhythm.com/
International US-based mail order record catalogue, specializing in roots music.

http://www.jazznblues.co.uk/
UK-based jazz and blues record specialists.