Blossom Dearie - Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1966
Time: 41:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. On Broadway
(4:20) 2. When the World Was Young
(4:45) 3. When in Rome
(4:13) 4. The Shadow of Your Smile
(4:28) 5. Everything I've Got Belongs to You
(3:51) 6. Once Upon a Summertime
(2:48) 7. I'm Hip
(5:05) 8. Mad About the Boy
(2:42) 9. The Shape of Things
(5:13) 10. Satin Doll

Several years ago Blossom Dearie said that of all her recordings, this on-location session from 1966 was her personal favorite. Although artists are notoriously unreliable critics of their own work, it's hard to quarrel with the singer/pianist's preference given the evidence on this reissue. Anyone who has yet to discover the inimitable, Lolita-like voice of this worldly-wise, genuinely hip, surprisingly versatile performer can be assured of making her acquaintance under optimal musical circumstances.

Even devoted fans seem unaware of the girlish-sounding singer's past travels. After performing with Woody Herman as a member of a vocal group, the Blue Flames, she appeared on King Pleasure's quasi-classic recording of "Moody's Mood for Love," made an album limited to piano solos, went to Paris to form a new vocal group, the Blue Stars, and produced a hit recording (in French) of "Lullaby of Birdland." Next, Norman Granz contracted her for Verve records, and she married the highly-regarded Belgian tenor saxophonist/flutist Bobby Jaspar. But her run at Ronnie Scott's in London in 1966 was what cemented her place as a premier cabaret-supper club attraction.

The set gets underway with a rhythmically complex yet feathery-light, smooth-as-glass treatment of "On Broadway," where Dearie and bassist Jeff Clyne half-time the challenging vocal line before catching up with drummer Johnny Butts' crisp brush work on the instrumental chorus. An exquisite ballad, "When the World Was Young," follows immediately half elegiac recitative and half warm, nostalgic reverie with an interpretation by the vocalist that's a trifle sadder but no less wiser than Peggy Lee's memorable version on Black Coffee (Decca, 1953).

Listeners who think they know Cy Coleman's "When in Rome" because of the first Tony Bennett/Bill Evans meeting will discover there are many sides to the Eternal City which, as Dearie's reading of the song suggests, is equal parts humor, sadness and undeniable drama. The range of emotions in the pianist's understated singing stems from two primary sources: first, scaled-down textures that permit the tiniest sliver of light to illuminate an entire scene; and second, the ironies set in play by a guileless, innocent little voice that can afford to ignore adult inhibitions and conventions. There's rarely a hint of torchiness, sultriness or even seductiveness here: she's all candor and refreshing clarity, leaving it to the listener to supply any ironical subtexts.

The singer can take on "I'm Hip," a Frishberg/Dorough parody of countercultural self-congratulation, without regendering lines like "I even read Playboy magazine," "I even call my girlfriend 'Man'" and "I don't wear a beard." Whatever you choose to call it hipness, honesty, objectivity that's Blossom Dearie, too faithful to her material to be an "act, too detached from its emotions to be merely sincere, too unselfconscious, really, to be one of the cultural elite's pop "sophisticates.

Among musicians it's become debatable over the years whether Ellington/Strayhorn's "Satin Doll" is a song or a cliché. When Blossom Dearie closes the set with this tune, it's a composition reborn, but played and sung with such disarming innocence and unflinching directness that even the most jaded listener couldn't be blamed for pronouncing it the best new song of the present millennium.By Samuel Chell
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blossom-time-at-ronnie-scotts-blossom-dearie-verve-music-group-review-by-samuel-chell

Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's

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Blossom Dearie - The Diva Series

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:50
Size: 120,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:49) 1. I'm Hip
(3:12) 2. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:13) 3. I Walk A Little Faster
(2:58) 4. Dance Only With Me
(2:15) 5. You For Me
(2:13) 6. Rhode Island Is Famous For You
(3:11) 7. Blossom's Blues
(4:19) 8. It Amazes Me
(5:59) 9. Someone To Watch Over Me
(3:45) 10. They Say It's Spring
(2:50) 11. It's Love
(2:51) 12. Always True To You In My Fashion
(2:27) 13. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(2:45) 14. Once Upon A Summertime
(2:31) 15. Plus Je T'Embrasse
(3:25) 16. When In Rome

Blossom Dearie's time spent with Verve during the late '50s resulted in several albums of great music, and her entry in the label's 2003 The Diva Series is one of the better single-disc wrap-ups of her career. This one is much longer than Verve's previous attempts; it also does a good job of compiling most of her best moments, including "I'm Hip," "Blossom's Blues," and "Always True to You in My Fashion."

It certainly isn't perfect, though; notable exclusions like "'Deed I Do," "I Won't Dance," "It Might as Well Be Spring," and "Give Him the Ooh-La-La" make this a tough one to recommend for beginners. (It may well have been intentional, in order to give more space for a focus on her Verve material that has remained unissued on CD.) By John Bush
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-diva-mw0000595314

The Diva Series

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Various - Capitol Sings Johnny Mercer

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:03
Size: 162.7 MB
Styles: Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. Ella Mae Morse - Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
[3:11] 2. Martha Tilton - And The Angels Sing
[2:49] 3. Gordon MacRae - Autumn Leaves
[3:12] 4. Jo Stafford - Blues In The Night
[1:53] 5. Blossom Dearie - Charade
[3:40] 6. Judy Garland - Come Rain Or Come Shine
[2:22] 7. Nat King Cole - Day In-Day Out
[3:16] 8. Matt Monro - Days Of Wine And Roses
[2:47] 9. The Pied Pipers - Dream
[2:32] 10. Benny Goodman - Goody Goody
[2:52] 11. Johnny Mercer - Glow Worm
[2:55] 12. The Four Freshmen - I Thought About You
[2:49] 13. Dinah Shore - I'm Old Fashioned
[2:57] 14. Dean Martin - In The Cool Cool Cool Of The Evening
[2:16] 15. Stan Kenton & His Orchestra - Jeepers Creepers
[2:22] 16. Vic Damone - Laura
[3:26] 17. Lena Horne - Moon River
[3:03] 18. Johnny Mercer - On The Atchison, Topeka & The Sante Fe
[4:13] 19. Harold Arlen - One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
[2:58] 20. Kay Starr - P.S. I Love You
[2:21] 21. Nancy Wilson - Satin Doll
[4:00] 22. Hoagy Carmichael - Skylark
[2:54] 23. Keely Smith - That Old Black Magic
[2:47] 24. Andy Russell - Too Marvelous For Words

Singer/songwriter Johnny Mercer was one of the founders of Capitol Records in the early '40s, so it's appropriate that he rates his own volume in the label's various-artists songbook compilation series of the 1990s (one that has already had discs devoted to Cole Porter and George Gershwin). As a lyricist working over a long career, Mercer provides a varied range of material for inclusion. This is a man who was setting words to 1930s swing hits like "And the Angels Sing," "Goody Goody," and "Satin Doll," and was still going strong in the 1960s, when he was writing movie themes like "Moon River" and "The Days of Wine and Roses" with Henry Mancini. In between, there were standards of the ‘40s such as "Blues in the Night" and "That Old Black Magic," and ‘50s favorites like "Autumn Leaves" and "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." Capitol was devoted to singers, which allowed it to take advantage of the post-swing era of the late ‘40s and ‘50s when singers ruled. Tops among them was Frank Sinatra, a Capitol artist, who apparently didn't allow his recordings to be compiled on this sort of collection. But many other important singers are included, among them Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Dinah Shore, and Dean Martin. And Mercer himself pops in several times, as do a couple of his composer collaborators, Harold Arlen and Hoagy Carmichael. Although Mercer has an identifiable writing style, full of a self-invented Southern slang ("swingeroonie!," "my huckleberry friend"), his teaming with different sorts of composers allows for many different musical styles on this disc, making it one of the rangier volumes in the series. ~William Ruhlmann

Capitol Sings Johnny Mercer

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Blossom Dearie - Les Blue Stars - The Pianist

Styles: Vocal and Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:08
Size: 79,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. The Continental
(2:51)  2. The Boy Next Door
(2:34)  3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(2:34)  4. Moonlight Saving Time (There Ought To Be A)
(2:56)  5. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(2:55)  6. April In Paris
(2:42)  7. Blue Moon
(3:24)  8. Down The Depths Of The 90th Floor
(2:50)  9. La Legende Du Pays Des Oiseaux
(3:04) 10. Lettre A Virginie
(2:43) 11. Toute Ma Joie
(2:45) 12. Embrasse-Moi Bien

A distinctive, girlish voice and crisp, impeccable delivery, plus an irrepressible sense of playful swing, made Blossom Dearie one of the most enjoyable singers of the vocal era. Her warmth and sparkle ensured that she'd never treat standards as the well-worn songs they often appeared in less capable hands. And though her reputation was made on record with a string of excellent albums for Verve during the '50s, she remained a draw with Manhattan cabaret audiences long into the new millennium. Actually born with the name Blossom Dearie in the New York Catskills, she began playing piano at an early age and studied classical music before making the switch to jazz while in high school. After graduation, she moved to New York and began appearing with vocal groups like the Blue Flames (attached to Woody Herman) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey). She also played cocktail piano around the city, and moved to Paris in 1952 to form her own group, the Blue Stars of France. Dearie also appeared in a nightclub act with Annie Ross, and made a short, uncredited appearance on King Pleasure's vocalese classic, "Moody's Mood for Love." She recorded an obscure album of piano solos, and in 1954, the Blue Stars hit the national charts with a French version of "Lullaby of Birdland." After hearing Dearie perform in Paris in 1956, Norman Granz signed her to Verve and she returned to America by the end of the year. Her eponymous debut for Verve featured a set of standards that slanted traditional pop back to its roots in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and cabaret. 

Her focus on intimate readings of standards ("Deed I Do," "Thou Swell") and the relaxed trio setting (bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, plus Dearie on piano) drew nods to her cabaret background. On her next few records, Dearie stuck to her focus on standards and small groups, though her gift for songwriting emerged as well with songs like "Blossom's Blues." She performed in solo settings at supper clubs all over New York, and appeared on the more cultured of the late-'50s New York talk shows. Her husband, flutist Bobby Jaspar, made several appearances on her records, notably 1959's My Gentleman Friend. After a recording break in the early '60s, Blossom Dearie signed to Capitol for one album (1964's May I Come In?), but then recorded sparingly during the rest of the decade. Finally, in the early '70s, she formed her own Daffodil Records label and began releasing her own work, including 1974's Blossom Dearie Sings and 1976's My New Celebrity Is You. She also performed at Carnegie Hall with Anita O'Day and Joe Williams, billed as the Jazz Singers. She continued to perform and record during the 1980s through to the early 2000s, centered mostly in New York but also a regular attraction in London as well. She retired from playing live in 2006 due to health concerns and died quietly in her Greenwich Village apartment on February 7, 2009. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/blossom-dearie-mn0000758601/biography

Personnel:  Alto Vocals [Contralto] – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 9 to 12), Nadine Young (tracks: 9 to 12); Bass Vocals – Jean Mercadier (tracks: 9 to 12); Double Bass – Herman Garst (tracks: 1 to 8); Drums – Bernard Planchenault (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano, Arranged By – Michel Legrand (tracks: 9); Soprano Vocals [First] – Christiane Legrand (tracks: 9 to 12); Soprano Vocals [Second] – Janine De Waleyne (tracks: 9 to 12); Tenor Vocals [Second] – Christian Chevallier (tracks: 9 to 12); Trumpet, Baritone Vocals – Roger Guérin (tracks: 9 to 12); Vibraphone, Tenor Vocals [Lead] – Fats Sadi (tracks: 9 to 12)

The Pianist

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Blue Stars Of France - Lullaby Of Birdland And Other Famous Hits

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:01
Size: 72,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. Lullaby Of Birdland
(2:44)  2. Tout Bas (Speak Low)
(2:37)  3. Gina
(2:13)  4. Plus Je T'Embrasse (Heart Of My Heart)
(2:44)  5. Toute Ma Joie (That's My Girl)
(2:15)  6. Les Lavandieres Du Portugal (The Portuguese Washerwomen)
(2:16)  7. Mister L'Amour (Mister Sandman)
(2:35)  8. En 1920 (In 1920)
(2:49)  9. Embrasse Moi Bien (Hold Me Close)
(3:06) 10. Lettre A Virginie (Letter To Virginia)
(2:38) 11. La Danse Du Baiser (The Kissing Dance)
(2:10) 12. Mambo Italiano

Leading off with their mid-'50s hit "Lullaby of Birdland," this presents an accomplished and buoyant, albeit somewhat sterile, selection of a dozen songs by this jazz vocal octet. Singing entirely in French on this collection, the group offers playful, lightweight material with intricate arrangements (mostly by Blossom Dearie, who was also a member) careful to balance male and female parts and high and low voices. Although this is 1950s jazz, it's definitely the poppier side of that form, though a hint of Latin influence comes into the picture with "Mambo Italiano." There's some swing to the music, but it's a polite type, of the sort that presents a wide and wholesome grin. The tracks will remind some listeners of the 1960s records of the Swingle Singers (who had considerable popular success in Europe), which is no coincidence, as the Blue Stars of France evolved into that group. ~ Richie Unterberger https://www.allmusic.com/album/lullaby-of-birdland-mw0000720807

Personnel: Alto Vocals – Blossom Dearie

Lullaby Of Birdland And Other Famous Hits

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Blossom Dearie - Soubrette: Sings Broadway Hit Songs

Size: 84,6 MB
Time: 35:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1960/2004
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Broadway
Art: Front & Back

01. Guys And Dolls (From Guys And Dolls) (2:46)
02. Confession (From The Bandwagon) (2:39)
03. Rhode Island Is Famous For You (From Inside USA) (2:09)
04. To Keep My Love Alive (From A Connecticut Yankee) (3:20)
05. Too Good For The Average Man (From On Your Toes) (3:26)
06. The Gentleman Is A Dope (From Allegro) (4:12)
07. Always True To You In My Fashion (From Kiss Me Kate) (2:47)
08. Napoleon (From Jamaica) (4:13)
09. Life Upon The Wicked Stage (From Showboat) (2:36)
10. The Physician (From Nymph Errant) (2:14)
11. Love Is The Reason (From A Tree Grows In Brooklyn) (3:31)
12. Buckle Down Winsocki (From Best Foot Forward) (1:48)

To hear Blossom Dearie's early records for Verve is to think that she would excel singing any song in any circumstance; to hear Soubrette: Sings Broadway Hit Songs is to realize that even she has limitations. Dearie, cast as the soubrette ("the saucy-serving-maid" or "the heroine's confidante," from the liner notes), is certainly a perfect fit for the role, which draws upon her skill at delivering witty material with a wink and a smile. This record fails nevertheless for two reasons -- it's her first record with full orchestral arrangements, and she doesn't impress when she's singing a comic song straight (comparatively speaking), which she does here. The arrangements of Russ Garcia are inventive but burdensome, and overly close for a Blossom Dearie date; instead of following every one of her humorous lines with its auditory equivalent (usually brass or vibraphone), far better to let the soubrette speak for herself. And Dearie herself missteps when singing a few of these ("Guys and Dolls" and "Life Upon the Wicked Stage") with no trace of her jazz smarts and unfailing interpretive sense. A few songs allow her to float the punch lines without undue intrusion, such as "To Keep My Love Alive" (in which a female serial killer explains her actions) and the eccentric, playful state-naming "Rhode Island Is Famous for You." ~by John Bush

Soubrette: Sings Broadway Hit Songs

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Blossom Dearie & Phil Scorgie - Me And Phil: Blossom Dearie Live In Australia

Size: 168,4 MB
Time: 72:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1994/2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Won’t Dance (Live) (4:55)
02. Everything I've Got (Live) (3:39)
03. Quiet Time (Live) (5:38)
04. I'm Hip (Live) (3:10)
05. I Don’t Remember (Live) (5:03)
06. My Attorney Bernie (Live) (4:53)
07. Bye Bye Country Boy (Live) (5:53)
08. Someone’s Been Sending Me Flowers (Live) (2:56)
09. Bruce (Live) (3:55)
10. Liz, Ralph And Calvin (Live) (3:45)
11. I'm Shadowing You (Live) (3:23)
12. Blossom (Live) (4:40)
13. Peel Me A Grape (Live) (4:22)
14. Lush Life (Live) (4:42)
15. If I Were A Bell (Live) (4:51)
16. Sweet Georgie Fame (Live) (6:09)

A distinctive, girlish voice, crisp, impeccable delivery, and an irrepressible sense of playful swing made Blossom Dearie one of the most enjoyable singers of the vocal era. Her warmth and sparkle ensured that she'd never treat standards as the well-worn songs they often appeared in less capable hands. And though her reputation was made on record with a string of excellent albums for Verve during the '50s, she remained a draw with Manhattan cabaret audiences long into the new millennium.

Actually born with the name Blossom Dearie in the New York Catskills, she began playing piano at an early age and studied classical music before making the switch to jazz while in high school. After graduation, she moved to New York and began appearing with vocal groups like the Blue Flames (attached to Woody Herman) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey). She also played cocktail piano around the city, and moved to Paris in 1952 to form her own group, the Blue Stars of France. Dearie also appeared in a nightclub act with Annie Ross, and made a short, uncredited appearance on King Pleasure's vocalese classic, "Moody's Mood for Love." She recorded an obscure album of piano solos, and in 1954, the Blue Stars hit the national charts with a French version of "Lullaby of Birdland."

After hearing Dearie perform in Paris in 1956, Norman Granz signed her to Verve and she returned to America by the end of the year. Her eponymous debut for Verve featured a set of standards that slanted traditional pop back to its roots in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and cabaret. Her focus on intimate readings of standards ("Deed I Do," "Thou Swell") and the relaxed trio setting (bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, plus Dearie on piano) drew nods to her cabaret background.

On her next few records, Dearie stuck to her focus on standards and small groups, though her gift for songwriting emerged as well with songs like "Blossom's Blues." She performed in solo settings at supper clubs all over New York, and appeared on the more cultured of the late-'50s New York talk shows. Her husband, flutist Bobby Jaspar, made several appearances on her records, notably 1959's My Gentleman Friend. After a recording break in the early '60s, Blossom Dearie signed to Capitol for one album (1964's May I Come In?), but then recorded sparingly during the rest of the decade.

Finally, in the early '70s, she formed her own Daffodil Records label and began releasing her own work, including 1974's Blossom Dearie Sings and the following year's My Favorite Celebrity Is You. She also performed at Carnegie Hall with Anita O'Day and Joe Williams, billed as the Jazz Singers. She continued to perform and record during the 1980s through to the early 2000s, centered mostly in New York but also a regular attraction in London as well. She retired from playing live in 2006 due to health concerns and died quietly in her Greenwich Village apartment on February 7, 2009. ~by John Bush

Me And Phil

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Blossom Dearie - Blossom Dearie Sings (45th Anniversary Edition)

Size: 110,7 MB
Time: 47:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'm Shadowing You (3:39)
02. Saving My Feeling For You (3:45)
03. Sunday Afternoon (3:41)
04. Somebody New (2:53)
05. I Like You, You're Nice (2:39)
06. Baby, You're My Kind (3:30)
07. Home (4:04)
08. Hey John (3:12)
09. You Have Lived In Autumn (2:56)
10. Flame To Fire (3:40)
11. Baby, You're My Kind (Work Lead) (3:25)
12. Home (Alternate Version) (4:04)
13. I Like You, You're Nice (Alternate Version) (1:54)
14. Sunday Afternoon (Alternate Version) (3:42)

Blossom Dearie wrote her first song, "Blossom's Blues," in late 1956, a coy response to similar songs from female singers of the era. The first and last lyrics she would ever write would be, "If you don't like my peaches baby, why do you shake my tree?"

In London, in the mid-60's, Blossom was visiting a friend when Brit-rocker Georgie Fame came on the radio. Her friend's children went wild and began to dance around the living room. Blossom was so taken that she sat down at the piano and began a melody, her friend, Sandra Harris, wrote the words, and Sweet Georgie Fame along with Blossom's earliest demo recordings of her own songs were born. From then on Blossom stayed on the music side and let talented friends supply the lyrics. Sweet Georgie Fame, and the real Georgie Fame stayed in England, but ten tracks, all written by Blossom Dearie, were about to make their way back home to New York.

From 1965-1970 Blossom recorded four albums for Fontana Records in England. After her tenure at Fontana ended she started to shop demo recordings, mostly of her own songs, around to record labels in Europe and the United States. In 1972 she crafted together a master tape that was to serve as a delivered album that a label could pick up and release on the spot. She financed, and friend (and fellow jazz artist) Bob Dorough produced. The studio was not exactly state of the art, the bathroom was across the street, but Michel Legrand stopped in, and Johnny Mercer hung out through most of the recording. The most notable of the tracks are "I'm Shadowing You" written with Mercer(pre-Watergate) as well as "Hey John" which was a thank you to new friend John Lennon for digging being on the same television show together.

It was at an unnamed record label in 1973 that the last denial took place. Either the label was not interested or they were offering a paltry sum for the master tape. According to Blossom, she said, "The hell with this!" Took her master, commiserated with her buddy Johnny Mercer, and decided to start her own label. He aptly named it "Daffodil Records" for her. Blossom was the second female artist to produce and shop her own master and the first successful female artist who headed her own record label.

A year after final recording Daffodil Records released, Blossom Dearie Sings. This was because, Blossom Dearie, Sings, Plays Piano, Writes the Songs, Arranges the Music, and Produces the Record wouldn't fit on the record sleeve. However that would be the template for the rest of the Daffodil catalog. Whitney Balliet of the New Yorker supplied the original liner notes starting by saying, "Everything about Blossom Dearie is just right.(musically)" He finished by remarking, "If things go askew or do not fit into her plans, they don't exist."

Blossom Dearie Sings is not just an album, but the determined effort of one of the world's most unique jazz artists to continue her career. Her way. For her fans. Around the time of this album's release Blossom played Carnegie Hall and transitioned from a nightclub entertainer to a concert performer. Thirteen more albums would follow on Daffodil as would hundreds of thousands of international miles of concert tours. All under the direction of Blossom herself.

Blossom's family and Daffodil Records are proud to offer this album remastered and in stereo with four bonus tracks.

Blossom Dearie Sings

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Blossom Dearie - They Say It's Spring (2-Disc Set)

A distinctive, girlish voice, crisp, impeccable delivery, and an irrepressible sense of playful swing made Blossom Dearie one of the most enjoyable singers of the vocal era. Her warmth and sparkle ensured that she'd never treat standards as the well-worn songs they often appeared in less capable hands. And though her reputation was made on record with a string of excellent albums for Verve during the '50s, she remained a draw with Manhattan cabaret audiences long into the new millennium.

Actually born with the name Blossom Dearie in the New York Catskills, she began playing piano at an early age and studied classical music before making the switch to jazz while in high school. After graduation, she moved to New York and began appearing with vocal groups like the Blue Flames (attached to Woody Herman) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey). She also played cocktail piano around the city, and moved to Paris in 1952 to form her own group, the Blue Stars of France. Dearie also appeared in a nightclub act with Annie Ross, and made a short, uncredited appearance on King Pleasure's vocalese classic, "Moody's Mood for Love." She recorded an obscure album of piano solos, and in 1954, the Blue Stars hit the national charts with a French version of "Lullaby of Birdland." After hearing Dearie perform in Paris in 1956, Norman Granz signed her to Verve and she returned to America by the end of the year. Her eponymous debut for Verve featured a set of standards that slanted traditional pop back to its roots in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and cabaret. Her focus on intimate readings of standards ("Deed I Do," "Thou Swell") and the relaxed trio setting (bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, plus Dearie on piano) drew nods to her cabaret background. On her next few records, Dearie stuck to her focus on standards and small groups, though her gift for songwriting emerged as well with songs like "Blossom's Blues." She performed in solo settings at supper clubs all over New York, and appeared on the more cultured of the late-'50s New York talk shows. Her husband, flutist Bobby Jaspar, made several appearances on her records, notably 1959's My Gentleman Friend. After a recording break in the early '60s, Blossom Dearie signed to Capitol for one album (1964's May I Come In?), but then recorded sparingly during the rest of the decade.

Finally, in the early '70s, she formed her own Daffodil Records label and began releasing her own work, including 1974's Blossom Dearie Sings and the following year's My Favorite Celebrity Is You. She also performed at Carnegie Hall with Anita O'Day and Joe Williams, billed as the Jazz Singers. She continued to perform and record during the 1980s through to the early 2000s, centered mostly in New York but also a regular attraction in London as well. She retired from playing live in 2006 due to health concerns and died quietly in her Greenwich Village apartment on February 7, 2009. ~bio by John bush

Album: They Say It's Spring (Disc 1)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 75:08

Size: 172.0 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz

Year: 2015

[3:46] 1. They Say It's Spring

[4:13] 2. Manhattan

[2:10] 3. 'deed I Do

[2:48] 4. I'm Hip

[6:00] 5. Someone To Watch Over Me

[2:10] 6. Rhode Island Is Famous For You

[2:28] 7. Plus Je T'embrasse

[2:09] 8. Comment Allez Vous

[3:23] 9. Now At Last

[3:20] 10. Tea For Two

[2:47] 11. I Won't Dance

[3:27] 12. Try Your Wings

[2:21] 13. Tout Doucement

[3:20] 14. Bang Goes The Drum (And You're In Love)

[2:50] 15. Always True To You In My Fashion

[2:42] 16. Let Me Love You

[2:25] 17. L'etang

[2:51] 18. It's Love

[3:12] 19. It Might As Well Be Spring

[2:58] 20. Dance Only With Me

[3:06] 21. It's Too Good To Talk About Now

[2:03] 22. Just One Of Those Things

[3:34] 23. Lonely Town

[2:08] 24. I Hear Music

[2:44] 25. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be)

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Album: They Say It's Spring (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 79:14

Size: 181.4 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz

Year: 2015

Art: Front

[3:54] 1. Some Other Time

[3:10] 2. Love Is Here To Stay

[3:31] 3. Just In Time

[4:17] 4. Napoleon

[1:58] 5. Moonlight Saving Time

[2:43] 6. Once Upon A Summertime

[3:25] 7. More Than You Know

[4:00] 8. Lucky To Be Me

[3:46] 9. Gentleman Friend

[2:39] 10. Life Upon The Wicked Stage

[3:39] 11. Little Jazz Bird

[4:28] 12. Like Someone In Love

[4:17] 13. It Amazes Me

[2:10] 14. Johnny One Note

[2:37] 15. Give Him The Ooh-La-La

[1:38] 16. Down With Love

[2:48] 17. Guys And Dolls

[3:04] 18. If I Were A Bell

[4:12] 19. I Walk A Little Faster

[3:24] 20. I Like Myself

[3:22] 21. Hold Me, Hold Me, Hold Me

[2:26] 22. Everything I've Got

[2:41] 23. Confession

[1:48] 24. Buckle Down Winsocki

[3:06] 25. Chez Moi

They Say It's Spring (Disc 1)(Disc 2)

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Various - The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (3-Disc Set)

This is not and cannot be the Complete Cole Porter Songbooks, but it's a marvelous collection of 48 timeless jazz interpretations drawn from the Verve catalog. Recorded between 1951 and 1988, these standards, ballads and show tunes are rendered by some 15 vocalists, many of whom appear twice, and about 13 instrumental groups. In addition to the usual suspects (Ella, Louis, Sarah, Dinah, and Lady Day) there are fine performances by Abbey Lincoln, Anita O'Day, Billy Eckstine, Mel Tormé, Blossom Dearie, Shirley Horn, Betty Carter, Helen Merrill, Morgana King and Fred Astaire. The instrumentalists -- and this is most fulfilling because Cole Porter's music is an essential strand in the DNA of swing, bop, and mainstream jazz -- include Ben Webster, Sonny Stitt, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Stan Getz, Al Cohn, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Tal Farlow, and Jim Hall. That makes this a portable jazz library of considerable potency, pungency and depth. Also quite valuable as a tool for learning and appreciating some of Porter's very best songs. First prize for both artistic magnitude and friendly intimacy goes to Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson for their fabulously relaxed, nearly nine-minute rendition of "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love." ~arwulf arwulf

Album: The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:04
Size: 153.6 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz
Year: 1990

[5:26] 1. Dinah Washington - I've Got You Under My Skin
[3:50] 2. Shirley Horn - Love For Sale
[8:41] 3. Louis Armstrong - Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)
[3:20] 4. Ella Fitzgerald - Anything Goes
[2:54] 5. Mel Tormé - What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:17] 6. Helen Merrill - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[2:27] 7. Oscar Peterson Trio - At Long Last Love
[1:57] 8. Anita O'day - I Love You
[4:01] 9. Louis Armstrong - Just One Of Those Things
[2:42] 10. Sarah Vaughan - It's De-Lovely
[2:48] 11. The Russell Garcia Orchestra - Always True To You In My Fashion
[2:42] 12. Fred Astaire - I Concentrate On You
[6:17] 13. Dinah Washington - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[3:47] 14. Billy Eckstine - In The Still Of The Night
[2:59] 15. Billie Holiday - Easy To Love
[3:03] 16. Ella Fitzgerald - Night And Day
[5:47] 17. Betty Carter - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 1)

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Album: The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:41
Size: 127.5 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz
Year: 1990

[4:16] 1. Louis Armstrong - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[2:52] 2. Anita O'day - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[3:10] 3. Ella Fitzgerald - I've Got You Under My Skin
[3:02] 4. Helen Merrill - How's The World Treating You
[4:23] 5. Dinah Washington - So In Love
[2:44] 6. Mel Tormé - Too Darn Hot
[2:29] 7. Sarah Vaughan - Just One Of Those Things
[2:49] 8. Shirley Horn - Get Out Of Town
[2:55] 9. Billie Holiday - Love For Sale
[3:09] 10. Anita O'day - From This Moment On
[4:56] 11. Fred Astaire - Night And Day
[2:37] 12. Blossom Dearie - Give Him The Ooh-La-La
[3:14] 13. Morgana King - Ev'rything I Love
[3:53] 14. Ella Fitzgerald - Miss Otis Regrets
[3:29] 15. Helen Merrill - All Of You
[2:29] 16. Louis Armstrong - You're The Top
[3:04] 17. Betty Carter - Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love

The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 2)

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Album: The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:08
Size: 146.8 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz
Year: 1990
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Charlie Parker - What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:57] 2. Al Cohn - Love For Sale
[2:53] 3. Art Tatum - Begin The Beguine
[5:58] 4. Dizzy Gillespie - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[4:49] 5. Max Roach Sextet - Get Out Of Town
[4:43] 6. Sonny Stitt - Easy To Love
[7:36] 7. Max Roach Quintet - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[6:44] 8. Stan Getz - Night And Day
[3:48] 9. Bud Powell - Just One Of Those Things
[4:15] 10. Coleman Hawkins - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[5:08] 11. Tal Farlow Trio - Anything Goes
[2:35] 12. All Star Big Band - I Love You
[3:21] 13. Jim Hall - I've Got You Under My Skin
[4:41] 14. Max Roach Sextet - I Concentrate On You

The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 3)

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Blossom Dearie - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:52
Size: 107.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Standards
Year: 1959/1989
Art: Front

[2:10] 1. 'deed I Do
[2:44] 2. Lover Man
[2:26] 3. Ev'rything I've Got
[2:09] 4. Comment Allez-Vous
[3:25] 5. More Than You Know
[2:58] 6. Thou Swell
[3:08] 7. It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:21] 8. Tout Doucement
[2:13] 9. You For Me
[3:19] 10. Now At Last
[2:04] 11. I Hear Music
[3:19] 12. Wait Till You See Her
[2:43] 13. I Won't Dance
[3:04] 14. A Fine Spring Morning
[3:22] 15. They Say It's Spring
[2:10] 16. Johnny One Note
[3:09] 17. Blossom's Blues

Other than a pair of sessions for the French Barclay label during 1955-1956, this set (which has been reissued on CD) has pianist-vocalist Blossom Dearie's first recordings as a leader. Teamed up with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, Dearie is heard in her early prime. Although her voice has always been an acquired taste, its sincerity and sense of swing wins one over after a few songs and Dearie's piano playing is first class. In addition to the 14 original selections (mostly swing-era standards plus a couple of French songs), there are three previously unreleased numbers including "Blossom's Blues," which dates from 1959. This CD is the perfect introduction for listeners to the unique sound of Blossom Dearie. ~Scott Yanow

Blossom Dearie

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Blossom Dearie - Ain't There Something That Money Can't Buy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:26
Size: 179.6 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz vocals
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:53] 1. Some Other Time
[3:59] 2. Lucky To Be Me
[4:14] 3. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[4:15] 4. It Amazes Me
[3:04] 5. If I Were A Bell
[3:19] 6. Tea For Two
[4:27] 7. Like Someone In Love
[3:30] 8. Just In Time
[2:37] 9. Teach Me Tonight
[3:41] 10. They Say It's Spring
[2:42] 11. Once Upon A Summertime
[3:21] 12. To Keep My Love Alive
[1:37] 13. Down With Love
[5:57] 14. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:39] 15. Little Jazz Bird
[1:58] 16. Just One Of Those Things
[3:29] 17. You Fascinate Me So
[2:07] 18. Boum
[4:14] 19. Manhattan
[3:08] 20. Love Is Here To Stay
[3:20] 21. Try Your Wings
[2:24] 22. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[3:19] 23. Now At Last

Actually born with the name Blossom Dearie in the New York Catskills, she began playing piano at an early age and studied classical music before making the switch to jazz while in high school. After graduation, she moved to New York and began appearing with vocal groups like the Blue Flames (attached to Woody Herman) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey). She also played cocktail piano around the city, and moved to Paris in 1952 to form her own group, the Blue Stars of France. Dearie also appeared in a nightclub act with Annie Ross, and made a short, uncredited appearance on King Pleasure's vocalese classic, "Moody's Mood for Love." She recorded an obscure album of piano solos, and in 1954, the Blue Stars hit the national charts with a French version of "Lullaby of Birdland."

After hearing Dearie perform in Paris in 1956, Norman Granz signed her to Verve and she returned to America by the end of the year. Her eponymous debut for Verve featured a set of standards that slanted traditional pop back to its roots in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and cabaret. Her focus on intimate readings of standards ("Deed I Do," "Thou Swell") and the relaxed trio setting (bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, plus Dearie on piano) drew nods to her cabaret background.

On her next few records, Dearie stuck to her focus on standards and small groups, though her gift for songwriting emerged as well with songs like "Blossom's Blues." She performed in solo settings at supper clubs all over New York, and appeared on the more cultured of the late-'50s New York talk shows. Her husband, flutist Bobby Jaspar, made several appearances on her records, notably 1959's My Gentleman Friend. After a recording break in the early '60s, Blossom Dearie signed to Capitol for one album (1964's May I Come In?), but then recorded sparingly during the rest of the decade. ~partial bio by John Bush

Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy

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Blossom Dearie - Jazz Masters 51

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:55
Size: 121.2 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. They Say It's Spring
[2:41] 2. Let Me Love You
[2:42] 3. Once Upon A Summertime
[3:39] 4. Little Jazz Bird
[3:20] 5. Bang Goes The Drum
[5:56] 6. Someone To Watch Over Me
[2:24] 7. L' Étang
[2:36] 8. Give Him The Ooh-La-La
[2:10] 9. Rhode Island Is Famous For You
[3:21] 10. Tea For Two
[4:15] 11. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[2:43] 12. I Won't Dance
[1:37] 13. Down With Love
[3:08] 14. Blossom's Blues
[4:14] 15. Manhattan
[4:22] 16. The Party's Over

Long an icon among jazz musicians and fans alike, this album samples tunes from the six albums Blossom Dearie made for Norman Granz' Verve label during the period 1956 to 1960. Dearie doesn't have a particularly big voice, but, like a will-o-wisp, she skirts through her material in a whispery, smoky tone that demands and receives attention from her audience, whether that audience be in a club or concert, or listening to one of her many albums. She exudes a coy sexiness that adds an aura to her interpretations few other vocal artists have been able to match. This album is loaded with Dearie gems. Her classic rendition of "Once Upon a Summertime" with Mundel Lowe, Ray Brown, and Ed Thigpen typifies her ability to avoid the routine by turning the song she is performing into an intimate storytelling session. "Someone to Watch Over Me" comes across like a waif begging to be cuddled against the world's trials and tribulations, made even more endearing by the slight tremor in Dearie's voice. Her ability to get away with an unusual interpretation of a well-worn standard comes through on her slow, languorous rendition of "Tea for Two" with her piano inserting exclamation points at the right places, helping her to make her musical point. Her renowned ability to expand her interpretative ability by singing in French is shown off in "I Won't Dance." Dearie was also equally at home with less familiar material. In fact, she excels at delivering the lesser-performed tunes, infusing a life into them others seem unable to achieve. Along these lines, this album treats us to such melodies as "Little Jazz Bird" (which Dearie pretty much has made her own), "Bang Goes the Drum," and on her own "Dearie's Blues," showcasing her facility for combining wordless and regular singing the same line of lyric. All of the cuts but one on the album are small group sessions with the artist doing her own work on piano, thus avoiding the task of coming up with a good accompanist which most vocalists must cope with. The one cut with an orchestra, led by Russ Garcia, confirms that Dearie, with her light voice, is more effective with a small group.

For those who want to sample Dearie's work, this compilation should fill the bill. And for her dyed-in-the-wool fans, this album allows them to visit highlights of her work with Verve on a single CD. ~Dave Nathan

Jazz Masters 51

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Blossom Dearie - Once Upon A Summertime

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 35:34

Size: 81.4 MB

Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz

Year: 1958/1992/2012

Art: Front

[3:19] 1. Tea For Two

[4:15] 2. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top

[1:58] 3. Moonlight Saving Time

[4:15] 4. It Amazes Me

[3:04] 5. If I Were A Bell

[2:01] 6. We're Together

[2:37] 7. Teach Me Tonight

[2:42] 8. Once Upon A Summertime

[1:38] 9. Down With Love

[4:15] 10. Manhattan

[2:15] 11. Doop-Doo-De-Doop (A Doodlin' Song)

[3:09] 12. Love Is Here To Stay

Vocalist Blossom Dearie's Summetime is a low-key collection of chamber-jazz arranged for a small trio. Working with guitarist Mundell Lowe, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Ed Thigpen, Dearie sings the material with a gentle conviction; she may never sound passionate, but she never sounds like she doesn't care. The result is a pleasant record, that might never be a compelling listen, but it's never a bad one. ~Thom Owens

Once Upon A Summertime

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King Pleasure, Annie Ross - King Pleasure Sings - Annie Ross Sings

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:21
Size: 111,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:14)  1. Red Top
(2:33)  2. Jumpin' with Symphony Sid
(2:55)  3. Sometimes I'm Happy
(3:13)  4. This Is Always
(3:09)  5. What Can I Say (After I Say I'm Sorry)
(3:17)  6. Don't Get Scared
(2:57)  7. Parker's Mood
(3:29)  8. I'm Gone
(3:01)  9. I'm In The Mood For Love
(2:37) 10. Exclamation Blues
(3:10) 11. You're Crying
(3:04) 12. Funk Junction
(2:37) 13. Twisted
(2:43) 14. Farmer's Market
(3:16) 15. The Time Was Right
(2:58) 16. Annie's Lament

The brief life span of classic jazz vocalese singing found its first inspiration in these King Pleasure sides. Pleasure vocalized many bebop solos by the likes of James Moody, Charlie Parker, and Lester Young, often adding his own hip and witty lyrics to the mix. Initially issued on his debut, Moody's Mood for Love, the first eight sides here include solid senders like "Parker's Mood," "Red Top" (based on a Gene Ammons solo and featuring singer Betty Carter), and "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid" (Lester Young). Balancing out the boppish fare, Pleasure also delivers ballads like "This Is Always" (featuring the Dave Lambert Singers) and his own composition, "Don't Be Scared" (up-and-coming vocalese star Jon Hendriks guests). Future Hendriks cohort Annie Ross co-headlines this LP, matching Pleasure's best with hits like "Twisted" (Wardell Gray) and "Farmer's Market" (Art Farmer). Her wordless scat feature, "Annie's Lament," is a highlight as well. A must for bop and vocal jazz fans. ~ Stephen Cook  http://www.allmusic.com/album/king-pleasure-sings-annie-ross-sings-mw0000188272

Personnel: King Pleasure, Annie Ross, Betty Carter, Blossom Dearie, The Three Riffs, The Dave Lambert Singers, Jon Hendricks (vocals); Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone); Danny Bank (baritone saxophone); Eddie Lewis (trumpet); J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding (trombone); Charlie Ferguson, Teacho Wiltshire, John Lewis, George Wallington, Ed Swanston, Jimmy Jones (piano); Ram Ramirez (organ); Peck Morrison, Paul Chambers, Percy Heath (bass); Herbie Lovelle, Art Blakey, Joe Harris, Kenny Clarke (drums).

King Pleasure Sings - Annie Ross Sings

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Blossom Dearie - Whisper For You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:13
Size: 151.6 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1997/2002/2010
Art: Front

[3:42] 1. That's Just The Way I Want To Be
[3:17] 2. Long Daddy Green
[3:12] 3. Sweet Surprise
[3:26] 4. Hey John
[3:19] 5. Sweet Georgie Fame
[3:14] 6. Both Sides Now
[1:49] 7. Dusty Springfield
[3:02] 8. Will There Really Be A Morning
[3:21] 9. I Know The Moon
[2:09] 10. Inside A Silent Tear
[5:06] 11. Yesterday, When I Was Young
[2:36] 12. I Like London In The Rain
[1:59] 13. Just One Of Those Things
[4:28] 14. Like Someone In Love
[2:25] 15. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[3:22] 16. Try Your Wings
[3:45] 17. The Riviera
[2:32] 18. The Middle Of Love
[2:28] 19. Plus Je T'embrasse
[2:38] 20. Give Him The Ooh-La-La
[4:12] 21. I Walk A Little Faster

An odd Japanese collection, Whisper for You reissues one of the New York cabaret singer's rarer sessions, 1970's That's Just the Way I Want to Be, and adds nine songs from her 1958 Verve LP Give Him the Ooh-La-La. Though the schmaltzy title and cover (featuring a sleepy kitten) may deter vocal fans, anyone wanting to hear one of her only post-'60s records available on CD would do well to search this one out. Blossom Dearie adapted pretty well to the changing times, stretching out on atmospheric songs that sound familiar to any fans of singer/songwriter or folk-rock forms. The title-track opener of That's Just the Way I Want to Be is a good start, her own composition (one of nine here, most of them collaborations) and one that nicely illustrates her outsider status -- a plus, as far as rock audiences were concerned. Brian Gascoigne's floating arrangement makes good use of vibes and flute, and his charts wisely stay out of the way, except on one dated arrangement for Dearie's "Long Daddy Green" (it has the same muddy sound as the spots for Schoolhouse Rock, which Dearie contributed to). Elsewhere, Dearie finds common ground with Joni Mitchell ("Both Sides Now"), and also sings tributes to (presumably) her favorites among British rock singers, "Sweet Georgie Fame" and "Dusty Springfield" (both probably owed small debts to her as well). The nine tracks tacked onto the end, from her Verve date Give Him the Ooh-La-La, far outshine any from the later session, including "Just One of Those Things" and "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." ~John Bush

Whisper For You

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Various - Kissing Jessica Stein OST

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:19
Size: 92.3 MB
Styles: Soundtrack, Easy Listening
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[2:11] 1. Blossom Dearie - Put On A Happy Face
[4:54] 2. Sarah Vaughan - It's Crazy
[2:21] 3. Anita O'day - Taking A Chance On Love
[3:20] 4. Jill Phillips - That Could Happen To Us
[0:59] 5. Ernestine Anderson - There Will Never Be Another You
[2:24] 6. Shirley Horn - I Just Found Out About Love
[2:47] 7. Ella Fitzgerald - Manhattan
[2:43] 8. Dinah Washington - Teach Me Tonight
[4:57] 9. Matt Rollings - Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[2:07] 10. Carmen Mcrae - Exactly Like You
[2:56] 11. Peggy Lee - I Don't Know About You
[3:18] 12. Diana Krall - Devil May Care
[3:10] 13. Billie Holiday - What A Little Moonlight Can Do
[2:05] 14. Blossom Dearie - I Wish You Love

Romantic comedies aren't something new; back in 1938, Bringing up Baby (starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant) was the definitive romantic comedy of its time. But the genre has evolved over the years, and so have musical tastes. These days, the soundtracks of romantic comedies are likely to have a lot of adult contemporary or pop/rock because those styles of music appeal to their target audience: younger women. But the soundtrack of Kissing Jessica Stein, a romantic comedy from 2002, is a major exception. While other romantic comedy soundtracks will emphasize artists like Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, and Whitney Houston -- favorites in the adult contemporary market -- this CD is dominated by vocal jazz (with some traditional pre-rock pop here and there). Verve provides a few new recordings, but most of the soundtrack is devoted to older recordings by well-known vocalists like Anita O'Day ("Taking a Chance on Love"), Shirley Horn ("I Just Found out About Love"), Sarah Vaughan ("It's Crazy"), and Dinah Washington ("Teach Me Tonight"). The material is quite accessible -- nothing abstract or left of center -- and one doesn't have to be a really seasoned jazz fan to get into Ella Fitzgerald's version of "Manhattan" or Blossom Dearie's playful interpretation of "I Wish You Love." In fact, many of the jazz singers on this CD have over the years been able to appeal to pop fans who don't necessarily care for a lot of hardcore instrumental jazz; in other words, the type of listener who might love Vaughan and Fitzgerald but doesn't necessarily have a lot of John Coltrane or Art Blakey CDs in his/her collection. This is a pleasant, likable soundtrack that won't intimidate those who like their jazz singing accessible and easy to absorb. ~Alex Henderson

Kissing Jessica Stein OST

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Blossom Dearie - It's Love

Size: 225,3 MB
Time: 97:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. It's Love (2:46)
02. Deed I Do (2:10)
03. Manhatten (4:15)
04. Tea For Two (3:19)
05. Between The Devil And Deep Blue Sea (2:27)
06. Little Jazz Bird (3:39)
07. It Amazes Me (4:15)
08. Like Someone In Love (4:27)
09. Now At Last (3:19)
10. Comment Allez-Vous (2:09)
11. Some Other Time (3:53)
12. Hello Love (2:48)
13. Guys And Dolls (2:47)
14. Rhode Island Is Famous For You (2:13)
15. Confession (2:43)
16. To Keep My Love Alive (3:21)
17. Too Good For The Average Man (3:27)
18. The Gentleman Is A Dope (4:15)
19. Always True To You In My Fashion (2:48)
20. Napoleon (4:15)
21. Life Upon The Wicked Stage (2:37)
22. The Physician (2:12)
23. Love Is The Reason (3:32)
24. Bickle Down, Winsocki (1:46)
25. Gentleman Friend (3:46)
26. It's Too Good To Talk About Now (3:06)
27. Chez Moi (3:06)
28. You Fascinate Me (3:30)
29. You've Got Something I Want (2:37)
30. Someone To Watch Over Me (5:57)

Blossom Dearie (1926-2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist.

Born on 28th April 1926 in East Durham, New York, of mixed Scottish and Norwegian ancestry, Dearie began her career in vocal groups in New York. In the early 1950s she moved to Paris, forming her own vocal group, The Blue Stars, later to become the Swingle Singers.

After signing to Verve, Dearie returned to the U.S. where, despite developing a successful career and achieving international fame, by 1974 the lack of interest from major labels led her to start her own label, Daffodil Records. She continued performing into her eighties.

Blossom Dearie died on 7th February 2009, at her apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City

It's Love

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Blossom Dearie - The Pianist/Les Blue Stars

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 33:28
Size: 76.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Vocal jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. The Continental
[2:47] 2. The Boy Next Door
[2:31] 3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[2:31] 4. Moonlight Saving Time (There Ought To Be A)
[2:53] 5. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[2:51] 6. April In Paris
[2:39] 7. Blue Moon
[3:19] 8. Down In The Depths
[2:46] 9. La Legende Du Pays Des Oiseaux
[3:01] 10. Lettre A Virginie
[2:40] 11. Toute Ma Joie
[2:43] 12. Embrasse Moi Bien

Two lesser-known sides of Blossom Dearie -- both recorded in Paris in the 50s! The first 8 tracks on the set are from a rare 10" session recorded in 1955 -- one that features Blossom only at the piano, not singing, but swinging in a solid trio format. Tracks on that session include "The Boy Next Door", "Down In The Depths Of The 90th Floor", "April In Paris", and "Blue Moon". The other 4 tracks on the set are from a 45rpm ep by Blossom's famous vocal group, The Blue Stars. The ensemble featured vocalese performances by young singers that included Christine Legrand, Jeanine De Waleyne, and Fats Sadi -- and was the virtual blueprint for later jazz vocal groups, like Les Double Six or The Swingle Singers. Titles from that group include "Toute Ma Joie", "Embrasse Moi Bien", and "Toute Ma Joie".

Sweet" can testify: it's the only album - if you exclude the 45rpm record on which she accompanies her husband Bobby Jaspar ("Jazz in Paris" N18) - where the singer doesn't relegate the pianist to the background, and it was in Paris that she had this opportunity. A friend of Gerry Mulligan, John Lewis and Gil Evans, Blossom Dearie had been amongst the regulars in the basement (situated behind a Chinese laundry) where the latter arranger was living, and remaking, jazz. With Miles Davis in particular. But it was in Greenwich Village, at the "Chantilly" to be precise, that Blossom sang and played the piano when she began as a professional musician, sometimes accompanying Tony Bennett. And in 1952 Nicole Barclay invited her to come and play in Paris.

It seemed, at the time, that there would be no salvation for jazz if it wasn't played on the Left Bank. Yet Blossom Dearie never belonged to the little world gravitating around the bell-tower of Saint-Germain-des-Pres: it was in the "Mars Club" - an extremely confidential place which, in the opinion of all "cellar rats", was wrongly located near the Champs-Elysees - that she met up with singer Bobby Short again, an old friend from Greenwich Village. Annie Ross came, and then Bob Dorough, who was accompanying Sugar Ray Robinson - he'd left the ring when tempted by the footlights. When the ex-boxer left the French capital, his pianist stayed on at the "Mars Club", working with Blossom on the confection of a few songs.

The terrain was a familiar one for someone who'd belonged not only to the "Blue Flames", a vocal group attached to Woody Herman's orchestra, but also to the "Blue Rays" (with Alvino Ray's band); familiar terrain, too, for the organiser of a vocal octet called the "Blue Stars". The paternity was Eddie Barclay's, and he'd reckoned that a group singing hit songs in French, with a zest of jazz and swing, had its chances... Quite an euphemism! The legend of the land of birds, adapted from George Shearing's Lullaby of Birdland with an arrangement by Michel Legrand, was a total triumph, including in the United States - half a million copies were sold! To skilfully complete the group's first 45rpm recording, there was Toute ma joie, another adaptation (of Nat King Cole's That's my girl), plus two French songs, Embrasse-moi bien and Lettre a Virginie, both written by Jean Constantin. Blossom had gathered four male vocalist-musicians - Sadi, the vibraphone-player, was the lead tenor; arranger & pianist Christian Chevallier was second tenor; trumpeter Roger Guerin was a baritone, and pianist & saxophonist Jean Mercadier sang bass - together with four female voices: Christiane Legrand (first soprano), Jeanine de Waleyne (second soprano), with Nadine Young and Blossom herself (contraltos). The performances of the "Blue Stars" can sometimes appear slightly dated, but Blossom Dearie, accompanied by Herman Garst and Bernard Planchenault, makes The boy next door, The surrey with the fringe on top and Cole Porter's Down in the depths of the 90th floor sound like they were recorded only yesterday. ~ Alain Tercinet

Recording information: Paris, France (11/1954-??/1955).

Blossom Dearie (vocals, piano); Roger Guerin (vocals, trumpet); Fats Sadi (vocals, vibraphone); Christian Chevalier, Christiane Legrand, Janine de Waleyne (vocals); Michel Legrand (piano); Bernard Planchenault (drums).

The Pianist/Les Blue Stars

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Blossom Dearie - My Gentleman Friend

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 30:35
Size: 70.0 MB
Label: Verve
Styles: Vocal jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 1959/2003
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Little Jazz Bird
[3:46] 2. Gentleman Friend
[3:06] 3. It's Too Good To Talk About Now
[3:06] 4. Chez Moi
[3:29] 5. You Fascinate Me So
[2:33] 6. You've Got Something I Want
[2:07] 7. Boum
[0:00] 8. L' Étang
[2:48] 9. Hello Love
[5:57] 10. Someone To Watch Over Me

Another in the superior series of LPs Blossom Dearie recorded for Verve in the late '50s, MY GENTLEMAN FRIEND finds the cabaret-jazz maven joined by guitarist Kenny Burrell and her husband at the time, Belgian saxophonist-flutist Bobby Jaspar, who accompanies Blossom on just a few French-language tunes--"Chez Moi," the swinging "Boum," and a lovely impressionist ballad called "L'Etang," all of which she manages with aplomb.

Dearie always chose her repertoire carefully so there are almost no typical standards here. Still she excels on Cy Coleman's "You Fascinate Me So," with its deft, witty lyrics by the great Carolyn Leigh. Closing the set is her plaintive version of the Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me." The singer's self-accompanying piano work is excellent throughout.

Recorded at Nola Studios, New York, New York on May 21 & 22, 1959. Originally released on Verve (2125).

Blossom Dearie (vocals, piano); Bobby Jaspar (flute); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums).

My Gentleman Friend

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