Odetta had broken ties with her first manager (and close friend) Dean Gitter, which led to Gitter suing her for unpaid revenues during her 1957 concert tour.

During this period, Gitter had committed her to recording for the Riverside label.

This single recording for Riverside was part of her settlement with Gitter.

Odetta had been coveting a movie role based on Bessie Smith's life and felt that releasing a blues album would be a good way to transition her public in accepting her as a blues singer.

It has subsequently been re-released on CD in 1984 on Riverside/Original Blues Classics (OBCCD-509-2), Ace (509) (1993) and Legacy (354).