Bessie Smith Bounty From Columbia

“Bessie Smith--The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1,” a 38-song album set featuring the landmark blues singer’s earliest work from the ‘20s, highlights the second round of Columbia Records’ acclaimed “Roots n’ Blues” series.

These new releases--also including works by such seminal figures as Blind Boy Fuller and Memphis Minnie--follow the phenomenal success of “Robert Johnson--The Complete Recordings,” one of eight albums released when the series was launched in August.

The Johnson package, which included everything ever recorded by the legendary bluesman in the late ‘30s, was one of the most surprising commercial success stories of 1990. Estimated sales in the United States alone: more than 300,000 units.

“I thought the Johnson set would sell well, but I certainly didn’t foresee this kind of success,” series producer Larry Cohn said.

He said the Smith set, the first of four two-CD Smith collections scheduled to be issued by Columbia in next year and a half, was a “natural” to follow the Johnson release.

“The last time Bessie had any real exposure was in the late ‘70s, when five two-album sets--produced by Chris Albertson, her biographer--were issued,” Cohn said.

Does he think the album will match the dramatic success of the Johnson package?

“It’s hard to tell,” Cohn said. “Bessie has two distinct audiences. One is under 25--younger people who are coming to the blues through artists like Bonnie Raitt and Robert Cray and the early Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin recordings.

“The second audience is older people who have known Bessie for years. They might want a new package with previously unpublished photos and a new liner booklet. It makes an attractive library item, if you will.”

The Smith material--mostly vocals accompanied by piano from 1923-24--will be presented in chronological order.

Winners: Benny Carter and James Newton, both Los Angeles-based, are among the 12 award recipients in the 1991 Meet the Composer/Rockefeller Foundation/AT&T; jazz program. The program offers commissions to jazz composers to write for sponsoring symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as opera, dance and theater companies throughout the United States.

Saxophonist Carter, 83, received $23,000 to write a 20-minute jazz symphonic work for the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Flutist Newton was given $15,500 to concoct a 40-minute concerto grosso, featuring his quartet and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. Both pieces will be premiered next year.

Another recipient was New Jersey-based Steve Colson, who received $40,000 to write a full-length musical theater work for the Los Angeles Theatre Center. No performance date has been set.