Blossom Dearie was a stylish jazz pianist and singer with a style and technique which skilfully interwove her piano and “light and girlish” vocal 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. Throughout her career, Dearie was thought of as a “musician’s musician”. She learned piano from the age of five, initially focusing on classical music, before moving to jazz. Born in 1924, she spent some of her early career in France during the early ‘50s, which helped shape her style, before returning to the US in 1957.

This 96-track collection features 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. Also included here is her album Jazz Sweet for Barclay in France, followed by the records she made with Verve between 1956 and 1962: 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. Among the top musicians of the day who appear are: Ray Brown, Jo Jones, Herb Ellis, Mundell Lowe, Ed Thigpen, Cy Coleman Kenny Burrell, Bobby Jaspar, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath and Kenny Clarke. Dearie passed away, from natural causes in her sleep, in 2009.

This collection offers a feast of top quality, highly listenable jazz, and a great showcase for her talents both as instrumentalist and vocalist.

CD1
1    In The Merry Land Of Bop    Dave Lambert Trio
2    Be Still TV    Stan Getz With Al Haig
3    Short P, Not LP    Stan Getz With Al Haig
4    Moody's Mood For Love (I'm In The Mood For Love)    King Pleasure
5    La Legende Du Pays Des Oiseaux    Les Blue Stars
6    Embrasse-Moi Bien (Hold Me Close)    Les Blue Stars
7    Toute Ma Joie (That's My Girl)    Les Blue Stars
8    The Portuguese Washerwomen (Les Lavandieres Du Portugal)    Les Blue Stars
9    Tout Bas (Speak Low)    Les Blue Stars
10    La Danse Du Baiser (The Kissing Dance)    Les Blue Stars
11    Mambo Italiano    Les Blue Stars
12    Plus Je T'embrasse (Heart Of My Heart)    Les Blue Stars
13    Mister L'amour (Mister Sandman)    Les Blue Stars
14    En 1920 (In 1920)    Les Blue Stars
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    

CD2
1    'Deed I Do    
2    Lover Man    
3    Everything I've 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    This Is 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    

CD3
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

CD4    
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