Artist: Blossom Dearie
Margrethe Blossom Dearie was an American jazz singer and pianist. Dearie performed regular engagements in London and New York City over many years and collaborated with many musicians, including Johnny Mercer, Miles Davis, Jack Segal, Johnny Mandel, Duncan Lamont, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, and Jay Berliner.
After high school, Dearie moved to Manhattan to pursue a music career. Dropping her first name, she began to sing in groups such as the Blue Flames (with the Woody Herman Orchestra) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey's band) before starting her solo career.
Dearie moved to Paris in 1952. She formed a vocal group, the Blue Stars (1952–1955), which included Michel Legrand's sister, Christiane, and Bob Dorough. In 1954, the group had a hit in France with a French-language version of "Lullaby of Birdland", arranged by Michel Legrand. The Blue Stars would later evolve into the Swingle Singers. On Dearie's first solo album, released two years later, she played the piano but did not sing.
In 1954, Dearie and King Pleasure recorded "Moody's Mood for Love" (a vocal adaptation by Eddie Jefferson of a James Moody sax solo for "I'm in the Mood for Love") and this is so noted on the Prestige album King Pleasure Sings. One of Dearie's most famous song recordings from that period is "The Riviera", with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Joseph McCarthy, in 1956.
After returning from France in 1957, Dearie made her first six American albums as a solo singer and pianist for Verve Records in the late 1950s and early 1960s, mostly in a small trio or quartet setting.
In 1964, Dearie recorded the album May I Come In? (Capitol/EMI Records). It was recorded (atypically for her) with an orchestra. During this same period, she frequently performed at New York supper clubs and, in 1966, made her first appearance at Ronnie Scott's club in London.
In 1970, after a period of inactivity, Dearie released the album That's Just the Way I Want to Be (including her homage to Dusty Springfield). In 1974, Dearie established her own label, Daffodil Records, which allowed her to fully control the recording and distribution of her albums.
Dearie's voice and songs have been featured on the soundtracks of several films and television shows, including Kissing Jessica Stein, My Life Without Me, The Squid and the Whale, The Adventures of Felix, The Artist, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (series), Call the Midwife (series), and Can You Ever Forgive Me? She also recorded songs with other singers, including Lyle Lovett. She continued to perform in clubs until 2006.
Dearie had remarkable pianistic skill, which was arguably less recognized than her vocal talents. Shortly after Dearie's death, pianist Dave Frishberg recalled asking Bill Evans about his use of fourths in chord voicings. "His immediate answer was that he heard Blossom Dearie play that way and it really knocked him out," wrote Frishberg. "Then he did a little rave review of Blossom, naming her as one of his models of piano playing.
Further information about Blossom Dearie is found at BlossomDearie.com.
This content was excerpted from the Wikipedia article, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blossom_Dearie, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
Blossom Dearie, Peel me a grape - Live
Blossom Dearie - 'I'm Hip'
Blossom Dearie - I wish you love + Impro blues (Live french TV 1965)