5 Reasons Odetta Recorded a Blues Album
- She wanted to transition into blues singing as a new direction for her career.
- A movie role based on Bessie Smith’s life was a key motivation for the shift.
- Recording a blues album was a strategic move to prove she could perform the genre authentically.
- The album served as an audition of sorts for the Bessie Smith biopic role.
- Odetta saw the project as a way to expand her artistic range beyond folk music.