Building on her passion for the Empress of the Blues, Julia Titus started to perform as Ma Bessie in 2015 to share the music of Bessie Smith and her contemporaries with a new generation. Mixing Julia’s rich, warm vocal sound with a dynamic group of musicians who look as well as sound the part.

Ma Bessie combines classic blues and jazz tunes from the inter-war years with a selection of original songs and hand-picked covers from the last 50 years of popular music. The Pig Foot repertoire includes classics such as Careless Love, Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out, and, of course, Gimme a Pig Foot (And a Bottle Of Beer).

Ma Bessie and her band toured with Highlights in 2023, and we are delighted to be welcoming them back!

“As Ma Bessie, Julia transported us back to the golden days of the twenties and thirties. Not only were we treated to so many fabulous blues standards, but also a hatful of Julia’s own compositions, all perfectly flowing into each other as we were expertly guided by Julia on a magical, musical journey” — Tuesday Night Music Club