How did early recordings by Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey differ from Mississippi Delta blues recordings?

Early recordings by "classic" blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey differed significantly from the Mississippi Delta blues tradition in both performance style and instrumentation.1

• Performance and Instrumentation: Classic blues recordings typically featured female vocalists accompanied by small musical combos. In contrast, the Delta blues tradition was defined by solo performances, where the singer accompanied themselves on an acoustic guitar.12
• Musical Techniques: Delta blues was characterized by distinctive, intense techniques, such as the use of a bottleneck or metal object to slide along the guitar fingerboard to bend notes, and improvised call-and-response patterns between the voice and the guitar.21
• Setting: While classic blues singers often performed in more formal or theatrical settings, Delta blues originated in informal, happenstance environments such as juke joints, street corners, and plantations.21

These differences highlight the distinction between the urban-influenced "classic" style and the raw, rural folk tradition of the Mississippi Delta.13