Miss Rhapsody Rediscovered

Viola Wells, known as Miss Rhapsody

Host David Dann describes how a collection of vintage jazz 78s, stored away for years, was discovered to contain previously unknown live recordings of famed blues and jazz singer Viola Wells, known professionally as Miss Rhapsody. Dann plays excerpts from five transcription discs of a radio broadcast made from a nightclub in Chattanooga, TN, in 1945, that feature Wells performing selections like "Hey Lawdy Mama" and "St. Louis Blues." This episode of The Jazz Archive offers a fascinating glimpse into American music at a time when jazz was giving way to rhythm-and-blues – and eventually, rock 'n' roll.