'Bessie (Music From The HBO Film)' Features Historic & Contemporary Recordings, Queen Latifah Performances

The official soundtrack for the upcoming from HBO biopic Bessie has been given a May 12 digital release via Legacy Recordings. The biographical film, starring Queen Latifah as blues legend Bessie Smith, will premiere on HBO this Saturday, May 16. You can purchase the soundtrack here.

Bessie (Music from the HBO Film) features a combination of historic and contemporary recordings with seven new Queen Latifah performances including "Young Woman Blues," "Preachin' The Blues," "Long Old Road," "Down Hearted Blues," "Work House Blues," and "Weepin' Woman Blues" (a duet with vocalist Pat Bass) as well as "Gimme A Pigfoot and A Bottle Of Beer (2015 Remix), a postmodern reworking of Smith's original song featuring newly recorded vocals, ad-libs and banter by Latifah set to enhanced instrumentation remixed and produced by Adam Blackstone and Latifah.

The song is described in the press release as "a dream collaboration between the Empress of Blues and Queen Latifah that exemplifies the brilliance of each of the artists while celebrating the musical soul that unites their eras and generations."

The soundtrack features modern performances of blues, jazz and swing classics including "Prove It On Me," performed by Carmen Twillie; "See See Rider," performed by Tamar-Kali; "Laugh Clown Laugh," performed by Cécile McLorin Salvant; and two new instrumental arrangements from Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks: "I've Got What It Takes (But It Breaks My Heart To Give It Away)" and "Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight."

In addition to Latifah's recordings and the modern recordings, the soundtrack also features authentic period recordings from Waller & His Rhythm ("A Good Man Is Hard To Find"), Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra ("[What Did I Do To Be So] Black And Blue"), Sippie Wallace ("I'm A Mighty Tight Woman") and Kid Ory's Creole Orchestra ("Ballin' The Jack").

Last month, our sister site Mstars News checked in with the stars of the film during HBO's premiere in New York City. See what Latifah had to say about her role, which was more than two decades in the making.