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A tremendous West End success, this dynamic compilation of 26 hot and torchy blues frames and comments on three women's relationships with one snake of a guy. With no spoken text, the interweaving stories are defined through music alone - and what music! Ranging from Bessie Smith through Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox and more, the evening's music is raunchily forthright, infectiously good-humoured and always classically blues. Songs include "When A Woman Loves A Man", "Wasted Life Blues" and the title song.

The revue originally was staged by Epps and Gregory Hines under the supervision of Norman René at the off-Broadway Playhouse 46, where it ran for 51 performances between March 26 and May 11, 1980. The original cast consisted of David Brunetti, Rise Collins, Suzanne M. Henry, and Gwen Shepherd.

After thirteen previews, the Broadway production, directed by Epps, opened on June 2, 1982 at the Rialto Theatre, where it ran for 53 performances. Jean Du Shon, Debbie Shapiro, Leslie Uggams, and Charles Coleman comprised the cast. The show was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical.

The West End production, staged by Steve Whately, opened on June 9, 1987 at the Donmar Warehouse, where it ran through July 19, 1987. Maria Friedman, Debby Bishop, Carol Woods, and Clarke Peters comprised the cast. With Peter Straker replacing Peters, it transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre, opening on September 23 and running through July 28, 1988.

The show was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical and Woods received a nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. The London cast album was recorded live during the August 25–26 performances at the Donmar.

A production ran at the Minetta Lane Theatre, New York City, from September 14, 1988 through October 23, 1988 for 45 performances. The cast featured Carol Woods, Brenda Pressley, Kathleen Rowe McAllen and Lawrence Hamilton.

The revue was presented at the Post Street Theatre, San Francisco, for eight weeks in July through September 2007. Maurice Hines played the role of "The Man in the Saloon", with Carol Woods, Freda Payne and Paulette Ivory as the three women.

"Am I Blue?" (Harry Akst, Grant Clarke)
"Baby Doll" (Bessie Smith)
"Blue Blue" (Bessie Smith)
"Blues in the Night" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)
"Copenhagen" (Charlie Davis)
"Dirty No-Gooder Blues" (Bessie Smith)
"Four Walls (and One Dirty Window) Blues" (Willard Robison)
"I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues" (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler)
"It Makes My Love Come Down" (Bessie Smith)
"I've Got A Date With A Dream" (Mack Gordon, Harry Revel)
"Kitchen Man" (Andy Razaf, Alex Bellenda)
"Low" (Vernon Duke, Milton Drake, Ben Oakland)
"Lover Man" (Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez, Jimmy Sherman)
"New Orleans Hop-Scop Blues" (Geo. W. Thomas)
"Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" (Bessie Smith)
"Reckless Blues" (Bessie Smith)
"Rough and Ready Man" (Alberta Hunter)
"Take It Right Back" (H. Grey)
"Take Me For a Buggy Ride" (Leola Wilson, Wesley Wilson)
"These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You" (Harry Link, Jack Strachey, Holt Marvell)
"Wasted Life Blues" (Bessie Smith)
"When a Woman Loves a Man" (Bernard Hanighen, Gordon Jenkins, Johnny Mercer)
"Wild Women Don't Have the Blues" (Ida Cox)
"Willow Weep for Me" (Ann Ronell)

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