Blossom Dearie was a jazz pianist and vocalist with a style and technique which skilfully interwove her piano and voice as she accompanied herself.
Her approach to piano was distinctive, using chord voicings which inspired the likes of Bill Evans who named her as one of his models of piano playing, while her voice was also highly personal, with a light and airy flavour.
Born in 1924, she spent some of her early career in France during the early ‘50s, which helped shape her style.
This great-value 96-track 2-CD set comprises early recordings with Dave Lambert, Stan Getz & Kai Winding and King Pleasure, plus recordings in France with Les Blue Stars, who became The Swingle Singers, and then the complete content of her album “Jazz Sweet” for Barclay in France, followed by her albums for Verve between 1956 and 1962.
Those albums are “Blossom Dearie”, “Give Him The Ooh-La-La”, “Once Upon A Summertime”, “Sings Comden And Green”, “My Gentleman Friend” and “Soubrette: Blossom Dearie Sings Broadway Hit Songs”.
It features recordings in small groups alongside top musicians of the day, including Ray Brown, Jo Jones, Herb Ellis, Mundell Lowe, Ed Thigpen, Cy Coleman Kenny Burrell, Bobby Jaspar, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath and Kenny Clarke.
It’s a feast of top quality, highly listenable jazz, and a great showcase for her talents both as instrumentalist and vocalist.
- 1 -
1. In the Merry Land of Bop
2. Be Still Tv
3. Short P, Not Lp
4. Moody's Mood For Love [I'm In the Mood For Love]
5. La Legende Du Pays Des Oiseaux
6. Embrasse-Moi Bien [Hold Me Close]
7. Toute Ma Joie [That's My Girl]
8. The Portuguese Washerwomen [Les Lavandieres Du Portugal]
9. Tout Bas [Speak Low]
10. La Danse Du Baiser [the Kissing Dance]
11. Mambo Italiano
12. Plus Je T'embrasse [Heart of My Heart]
13. Mister L'amour [Mister Sandman]
14. En 1920 [In 1920]
15. The Continental
16. The Boy Next Door
17. They Can't Take That Away From Me
18. Moonlight Saving Time
19. The Surrey With the Fringe On Top
20. April In Paris
21. Blue Moon
22. Down In the Depths On the Ninetieth Floor
23. Old Devil Moon
24. Autumn In New York
25. Flamingo
26. There Will Never Be Another You
- 2 -
1. 'Deed I Do
2. Lover Man
3. Everything I Have Got is Yours
4. Comment Allez Vous
5. More Than You Know
6. Thou Swell
7. It Might As Well Be Spring
8. Tout Doucement
9. You For Me
10. Now At Last
11. I Hear Music
12. Wait Till You See Him
13. I Won't Dance
14. A Fine Spring Morning
15. Just One of Those Things
16. Like Someone In Love
17. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
18. They Say It's Spring
19. Try Your Wings
20. Bang Goes the Drum (and You're In Love)
21. The Riviera
22. The Middle of Love
23. Plus Je T'embrasse [Heart of My Heart]
24. Give Him the Ooh-La-La
25. Let Me Love You
- 3 -
1. I Walk a Little Faster
2. Tea For Two
3. The Surrey With the Fringe On Top
4. Moonlight Saving Time
5. It Amazes Me
6. If I Were a Bell
7. We're Together
8. Teach Me Tonight
9. Once Upon a Summertime
10. Down With Love
11. Manhattan
12. Doop-Doo-De-Doop [A Doodlin' Song]
13. Love is Here To Stay
14. Lucky To Be Me
15. Just In Time
16. Some Other Time
17. Dance Only With Me
18. I Like Myself
19. It's Love
20. The Party's Over
21. How Will He Know
22. Hold Me, Hold Me, Hold Me
- 4 -
1. Lonely Town
2. Little Jazz Bird
3. Gentleman Friend
4. It's Too Good To Talk About Now
5. Chez Moi
6. You Fascinate Me So
7. You've Got Something I Want
8. Boum
9. L'etang
10. Hello Love
11. Someone To Watch Over Me
12. Guys and Dolls
13. Confession
14. Rhode Island is Famous For You
15. To Keep My Love Alive
16. Too Good For the Average Man
17. The Gentleman is a Dope
18. Always True To You In My Fashion
19. Napoleon
20. Life Upon the Wicked Stage
21. The Physician
22. Love is the Reason
23. Buckle Down, Winsocki |
