Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Blossom Dearie: From The Meticulous To The Sublime

388

Blossom Dearie: From The Meticulous To The Sublime

By

Sign in to view read count
Blossom Dearie: From The Meticulous To The Sublime
As a long-time admirer of singer/songwriter Blossom Dearie, it is good to see that her 1975 album From The Meticulous To The Sublime, a mid-career snapshot of her work, has finally been made available on CD.

Pursuing her own muse, Blossom Dearie formed the Blue Stars of France in the early 1950s, which culminated in a successful recording of "Lullaby of Birdland" in 1954. She appeared as the "girl" vocalist on the original King Pleasure recording of "I'm In The Mood For Love"; and the six Verve albums recorded in the latter half of the 1950s with Ray Brown and Jo Jones, in which she visited the Great American Songbook, are fondly remembered.

It wasn't until the 1970s that Blossom Dearie emerged as a composer of original songs, sometimes in collaboration with such notables as Johnny Mercer, Bob Dorough, or Dave Frishberg, and she began delighting audiences with her modern urban (and rural, for that matter) tales delivered in a distinctive and playful series of albums. Such is the case on this newly available session.

Accompanied by guitarist John Morrell, bassist Jim Hughart, and drummer Colin Bailey, Dearie presents a combination of six of her own songs, several of which—like "Sweet Georgie Fame"; "Hey John," her tribute to John Lennon; and "I'm Shadowing You," co-written with Johnny Mercer—have become classic jazz/cabaret staples. Other additions include the quintessential Frishberg/Dorough song "I'm Hip," Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns," and a version of Paul Simon's "Feelin' Groovy."

Sadly, the use of electric piano here, a reminder of the decade's affectation with the instrument, does detract from the total package.

Track Listing

I'm Hip, Saving My Feeling For You, Sweet Georgie Fame, A Face Like Yours, Hey John, I'm Shadowing You, Many's The Time, Send In The Clowns, Isn't That The Thing To Do?, Feelin' Groovy, How Do You Say Auf Wiedersehn?

Personnel

Blossom Dearie
piano and vocals

Blossom Dearie, vocals, keyboards; Jim Hughart, bass; John Morrell, guitar; Colin Bailey, drums.

Album information

Title: From The Meticulous To The Sublime | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Daffodil Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.