Level: 2
Tuning: Standard

Bessie Smith was the empress of the blues in the 1920s, and many of her hits, including "Kitchen Man," had very jazzy chord changes. This one was written by Andy Razaf, who wrote lyrics to several of Fats Waller's biggest hits. The guitar plays alternating bass throughout most of this key-of-C arrangement, sometimes reverting to a monotone bass (droning away on one bass note). During the song's introductory verse, the guitar is sketchy, playing just enough to indicate chords, but there's steadier, fuller picking in the chorus. Notice the AABA form of the chorus: There's an 8-bar section (A) which is repeated, though the lyrics change, and an 8-bar bridge (B), followed by another A section. If you like this tune, there's a whole DVD of guitar versions of Bessie Smith hits!