Customer Reviews

Blossom Dearie Verve Jazz Masters 51

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I was snapped out of the normally numb mental mood of the commute home by "They Say it's Spring" with Blossom's slightly cartoon voice coaxing me to listen. It sounded like maybe a comic recording until noticing that she was hitting all the notes exactly as she wanted. The wistful passion in her song is the kind you wish someone was singing to you. I bought the CD and have become a real fan. This CD seems like the best place to start. It was the beginning of her career and she had terrific backup - including Ray Brown on Bass. She makes fun of guys who hit on her in the Paris clubs where she was discovered, but in this selection of songs you can hear why they did.

"They Say It's Spring." "Let Me Love You." "The Party's Over." "I Won't Dance." No matter what she sings, Blossom Dearie does just that. She blossoms. O.K. lots of people have never heard of her. I'm one of the lucky ones. Since I was three or four, I can remember hearing Blossom's radiant voice on my parent's stereo0. I also had the pleasure of seeing her live in concert three years ago in New York.
What's amazing (live or on CD) is that she sounds no different today than she did back in 1956. That's quite an accomplishment, but it's true.
This CD - 16 songs in all - is the perfect intro to this national treasure. Even better, she does her own thing with each and every one of the songs that come her way including her daft rendition of "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top." If you should add this CD to your collection, upon the first spin you'll be hooked. Go Blossom.

Verve Jazz Masters 51, a collection of jazz and popular standards sung by Blossom Dearie accompanying herself on the piano has finally made a major impression on me as an important Jazz vocalist, something on the order of a distaff Mose Allison, without her doing the composing.

I first heard her name from an audiophile friend in the 1970s, when almost all audiophiles were Jazz fans. I was not without some affection for some pop female vocalists such as Barbra Streisand, who I 'discovered' upon the release of her first album. But, this was just after the crest of the great Rock explosion where female vocalist primarily meant Grace Slick, Janice Joplin, Mama Cass, and Sandy Denny.

Also, in the age of 'Jefferson Airplane', 'The Grateful Dead', 'Pink Floyd', and 'Led Zeppelin', one almost had to believe that the name Blossom Dearie was a stage name. But, I have come around to realize that all this was foolishness, and Blossom Dearie is a major and important Jazz vocal performer. The easiest way to appreciate what Blossom Dearie can do with a song is to listen to her rendition of the Gershwin's 'Someone to Watch Over Me'.

For this I'll trade in my library of blues recordings and my three copies of 'Stardust' done by other people to get more such performances.

My only problem with this recording is the same problem I have with most titles in this series. They are too short. A good classical CD can easily top 65 minutes, so I don't see why Verve can't squeeze more than 52 minutes onto this disk.

I have nothing to say to those of you who already know and appreciate Ms. Dearie. To those who come to this review from some of my other reviews, I recommend you give this woman a serious listen!

I had not even heard her name when I picked up this CD a couple weeks ago while browsing in the Jazz section. I'm not a huge jazz fan, but have always enjoyed the occassional Billie Holiday and Ella. With a name like Blossom Dearie, and an endorsement by Dean Martin on a blurb on the CD sleeve, I thought 'what the heck?' What a complete delight this CD is - every song is wonderful. From the very first song, I was mesmorized, delighted and enchanted. My kids, 8 and 10 have come to love it too! Picture my 8 year old daughter walking around signing 'Give him the ooh-la-la!' - sure beats Britney!

One imagines Blossom Dearie on this late 50s album as a mere slip of a thing. But with grit. Like the oyster making the pearl. Her grit comes from two places. First is her intellect. Listen to the way she parses the lyrics of these songs. She gets them. And she loves language. Then, too, she plays piano like a master. Truly. Suave, swinging and using only so much of a seemingly limitless technical bravura as she needs to to get the song to speak. On first hearing it's easy to fade Blossom Dearie because of her fay ingenue's voice. But listen to her once more. It's the voice of a deep feeler, who's reaction to life's hurts is a blithe irony without bitterness, a deep, humorous acceptance. Oscar Wilde as Zen monk singing three shows a night at the Cafe C'est La Vie.

I can't say enough about this CD and how it turned me on to Blossom. I had never even heard of her until a friend was playing this. Now I want to go to New York to catch her live. This CD seems like a great economical introduction to what is truly a beautiful world.

One of the most under rated Singer's Musician's that there is around today. She swings she sings she move's along the key board
with such ease on the up tempo numbers and you can hear every word. Buy it youll love it.Also try Blossom Deare Sings Comden and Green.

Blossom Dearie is one of the best-kept secrets among female jazz singers. Her deceptively low-key singing style on some numbers ("Someone to watch over me") springs into sprightly life in "Give him the ooh-la-la". But it is her perfectly judged piano accompaniment that makes her the treasure she undoubtedly is. Just listen to her version of "Tea for two". Priceless.

At first listen, you might think of Blossom Dearie as a coy and girlish. But she's much more mature than that. She delivers each song with such detail and meaning that you can't help but listen. She is incredibly honest in her delivery, not hiding behind any preconceptions of what a singer "should" sound like. Blossom is all Blossom, and no pretense. She's also a masterful pianist, making it sound as if she's not working at all. Jazz Masters 51 is an excellent introduction to Blossom Dearie.

I've met Blossom Dearie in NYC. She's a complete sweetheart. She autographed my "Sings Comden and Green" CD (also excellent).

There really is no other female vocalist even close to her. Delightful. Absolutly delightful. Arrangements and phrasing unparalled. You are there with her when she sings.