Chris Connor was one of female jazz singers of the post-war era, who sang with the innovative big bands of the day before embarking on a solo career.

With her albums encompassing not only jazz but stylish interpretations of the Great American Songbook, she was placed among that coterie of sophisticated pop performers.

Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, she became proficient on the clarinet, having studied for eight years during middle school and high school.

“Playing the clarinet trained me in the basics of breath control, which is very important for singing,” said the singer. She also haunted the local record shop, listening to Peggy Lee, an obvious influence, as well as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, saying: “I listened hard, not just to the melodies but to the words and the phrasing.”

She enjoyed a career that spanned more than four decades, performing and recording into the 1990s, but this set focuses on the early years of her career as she established her reputation and laid the groundwork for her prolific album output through the late ‘50s and early ‘60s.

This 73-track set includes early singles on the Decca, Capitol and Bethlehem labels, some with Stan Kenton’s orchestra, plus some ‘live’ recordings with Claude Thornhill’s orchestra. Tracks are lifted from her albums Sings Lullabys Of Birdland, Sings Lullabys For Lovers and This Is Chris for Bethlehem, and Chris Connor and He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not for Atlantic.

It includes performances with the orchestras of Claude Thornhill, Stan Kenton, Sy Oliver, Ralph Burns and Ray Ellis, plus the Ellis Larkins Trio, Vinnie Burke Quartet and small groups featuring Herbie Mann, Milt Hinton, J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding, John Lewis, Oscar Pettiford and Connie Kay.

This is a fine showcase for an artist who has not received the attention she merits over the years.

TRACKS