BLOSSOM DEARIE - Once Upon a Summertime (1958-1992) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Vocalist Blossom Dearie's Summetime is a low-key collection of chamber-jazz arranged for a small trio. Working with guitarist Mundell Lowe, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Ed Thigpen, Dearie sings the material with a gentle conviction; she may never sound passionate, but she never sounds like she doesn't care. The result is a pleasant record, that might never be a compelling listen, but it's never a bad one. by Thom Owens 
Tracklist :
1  Tea for Two 3:20
Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans 
2  The Surrey with the Fringe on Top 4:16
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers 
3  Moonlight Saving Time 1:59
Irving Kahal / Harry Richman 
4  It Amazes Me 4:16
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh 
5  If I Were a Bell 3:05
Frank Loesser 
6  We're Together  2:02
Steve Allen / Don Elliott 
7  Teach Me Tonight 2:38
Sammy Cahn / Gene DePaul 
8  Once Upon a Summertime 2:43
Eddie Barclay / Michel Legrand / Eddy Marnay / Johnny Mercer 
9  Down with Love 1:39
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Burton Lane 

10  Manhattan 4:16 

Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers 
11  Doop-Doo-De-Doop (A Doodlin' Song) 2:15
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh 
12  Our Love Is Here to Stay 3:10
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin 
Credits :
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Guitar – Mundell Lowe
Piano, Vocals – Blossom Dearie

BLOSSOM DEARIE - Blossom Dearie Sings Comden and Green (1959-2001) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Buoyed by the success of Ella Fitzgerald's songbook series, Verve executive Norman Granz suggested to one of his other artists, Blossom Dearie, that she tackle the canon of lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green. But while Ella's acrobatic voice proved more than a match for any brand of songwriter (especially heavyweights like Gershwin, Porter, and Berlin), Dearie's porcelain vocals and restrained theatrics didn't immediately leap to mind when thinking of Comden and Green's exuberant material. Still, Blossom Dearie Sings Comden and Green is an interesting songbook, a collection of ten standards done Dearie's way, like no other. Usually accompanied just by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, she exercises a great deal of restraint for the usually confident "Just in Time." When the same technique is applied to "Dance Only With Me," however, losing just a few steps of the song's waltz tempo proves nearly fatal. Also, Dearie's voice isn't as strong as on her earlier records; perhaps the slight drop in songwriting quality is as much to blame as vocal strain. The date does pick up when Kenny Burrell arrives for the second side (he provides a deft accompaniment to "The Party's Over" and "Lonely Town"), though as darling as Dearie's voice is, the similarity of the material drags down even the sprightliest songbird. by John Bush  
Tracklist:
1 Lucky to Be Me 4:02
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
2 Just in Time 3:33
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
3 Some Other Time 3:57
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
4 Dance Only with Me 2:58
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
5 I Like Myself 3:31
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / André Previn
6 The Party's Over 4:22
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
7 How Will He Know 2:54
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
8 It's Love 2:50
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
9 Hold Me, Hold Me, Hold Me 3:25
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
10 Lonely Town 3:33
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
Credits:
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 6 to 10)
Lyrics By [All Lyrics By] – Betty Comden And Adolph Green
Producer [Original Recordings Produced By] – Norman Granz
Vocals, Piano – Blossom Dearie

BLOSSOM DEARIE - My Gentleman Friend (1959-2003) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The most expressive of jazz vocalists, Blossom Dearie's first three records for Verve -- all masterpieces -- displayed an artist with an uncommon ability to transfer a well-worn standard into a new song, usually informed by her light touch with piano and voice as well as her delightful coquette persona. My Gentleman Friend, her final full-length for the label, suffers only in comparison to her previous work; with fewer all-time standards available from her performing repertoire, Dearie was forced to resort to a few French titles and many middle-rank or then-current standards. It doesn't come as a surprise, then, that the song with the most compositional weight -- George and Ira Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me" -- is the highlight. Dearie gracefully tiptoes through the classic, her reading rosy and meditative. Another Gershwin tune, "Little Jazz Bird," leads off the record with Dearie affecting her usual blend of warmth and insouciance. Aside from those two, the rest of the material is Blossom by numbers: simply average, forgettable songs given solid readings. The backing very nearly makes up for the lack of great compositions -- Dearie leads a quartet comprising her piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. by John Bush 
Tracklist:
1     Little Jazz Bird 3:43    
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
2     Gentleman Friend 3:49    
Arnold B. Horwitt / Richard Lewine
3     It's Too Good to Talk About Now 3:09    
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
4     Chez Moi 3:09
Jean Féline / Paul Misraki / Bruce Sievier
5     You Fascinate Me So 3:33
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
6     You've Got Something I Want 2:37    
7     Boum 2:10
Charles Trénet
8     L' Étang 2:27
Paul Misraki
9     Hello Love 2:51    
10     Someone to Watch Over Me 5:57
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
Credits:
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Flute – Bobby Jaspar (tracks: 4, 7, 8)
Guitar – Kenny Burrell
Piano – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 10)
Producer [Original Recordings Produced By] – Norman Granz
Vocals – Blossom Dearie

BLOSSOM DEARIE – Sweet Blossom Dearie (1967-2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This was recorded at "Ronnie Scots Club" in London in 1967 there was no gaps in between the tracks so I had to record it as just "Side 1 & Side 2"...."Blossom Dearie" has one of those voices that you either love or hate....even when she was older her voice did not change at all...I would have thought the voice would have deepened with age but it didnt !!
Tracklist :
1    Let's Go Where The Grass Is Greener 2:56
2    You Turn Me On Baby 2:43
3    Sleeping Bee 4:16
4    Sweet Lover No More 3:03
5    Sweet Georgie Fame 3:50
6    That's No Joke 5:31
7    Peel Me A Grape 4:09
8    One Note Samba 2:50
9    On A Clear Day You Can See Forever 3:29
10    I'll Only Miss Him When I Think Of Him 5:38
11    Big City's For Me 2:41
12    You're Gonna Hear From Me 3:46
Credits :
Bass – Freddie Logan
Drums – Alan Ganley
Piano, Vocals – Blossom Dearie

BLOSSOM DEARIE - Whisper for You (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

An odd Japanese collection, Whisper for You reissues one of the New York cabaret singer's rarer sessions, 1970's That's Just the Way I Want to Be, and adds nine songs from her 1958 Verve LP Give Him the Ooh-La-La. Though the schmaltzy title and cover (featuring a sleepy kitten) may deter vocal fans, anyone wanting to hear one of her only post-'60s records available on CD would do well to search this one out. Blossom Dearie adapted pretty well to the changing times, stretching out on atmospheric songs that sound familiar to any fans of singer/songwriter or folk-rock forms. The title-track opener of That's Just the Way I Want to Be is a good start, her own composition (one of nine here, most of them collaborations) and one that nicely illustrates her outsider status -- a plus, as far as rock audiences were concerned. Brian Gascoigne's floating arrangement makes good use of vibes and flute, and his charts wisely stay out of the way, except on one dated arrangement for Dearie's "Long Daddy Green" (it has the same muddy sound as the spots for Schoolhouse Rock, which Dearie contributed to). Elsewhere, Dearie finds common ground with Joni Mitchell ("Both Sides Now"), and also sings tributes to (presumably) her favorites among British rock singers, "Sweet Georgie Fame" and "Dusty Springfield" (both probably owed small debts to her as well). The nine tracks tacked onto the end, from her Verve date Give Him the Ooh-La-La, far outshine any from the later session, including "Just One of Those Things" and "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." by John Bush  
Tracklist:
1 That's Just the Way I Want to Be 3:44
Jim Council / Blossom Dearie
2 Long Daddy Green 3:20
Blossom Dearie / Dave Frishberg
3 Sweet Surprise 3:15
Jim Council / Blossom Dearie
4 Hey John 3:29
Jim Council / Blossom Dearie
5 Sweet Georgie Fame 3:22
Blossom Dearie / Sandra Harris
6 Both Sides Now 3:17
Joni Mitchell
7 Dusty Springfield 1:52
Jim Council / Blossom Dearie / Norma Tanega
8 Will There Really Be a Morning 3:04
Emily Dickinson
9 I Know the Moon 3:24
Jim Council / Blossom Dearie
10 Inside a Silent Tear 2:12
Blossom Dearie / A. King
11 Yesterday, When I Was Young 5:07
Charles Aznavour / Herbert Kretzmer
12 I Like London in the Rain 2:40
Jim Council / Blossom Dearie
13 Just One of Those Things 2:02
Cole Porter
14 Like Someone in Love 4:32
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
15 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 2:28
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
16 Try Your Wings 3:25
17 The Riviera 3:48
Cy Coleman / Joseph McCarthy
18 The Middle of Love 2:35
19 Plus Je T'Embrasse 2:31
Ben Ryan
20 Give Him the Ooh-La-La 2:41
Cole Porter
21 I Walk a Little Faster 4:14
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
Note:
1-12 taken from the album "That's Just The Way I Want To Be"
13-21 taken from the album "Give Him The ooh-La-La"

BUDDY BANKS / BOBBY JASPAR - Jazz De Chambre (2000) Jazz In Paris 18 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Part of the fun of listening to Universal Music's Jazz in Paris series is digging into their compilations of obscure recordings, such as these two mid-'50s sessions, led by Buddy Banks and Bobby Jaspar. Banks, originally a saxophonist who switched to bass, had arrived in Europe after World War II; he is accompanied by drummer Roy Haynes, pianist Bob Dorough, and guitarist Jimmy Gourley. The leader takes the spotlight in a subtle take of "Yesterdays," though a strange clicking mars an otherwise swinging "I Love You." Banks' group also offers serviceable interpretations of modern pieces like Gerry Mulligan's "Line for Lyons" and Milt Jackson's "Bag's Groove." The partnership of Belgian flutist Bobby Jaspar and American pianist Blossom Dearie was rather brief. Married not long after they met, they recorded just four selections together in 1956 with bassist Benoit Quersin and drummer Christian Garros, then went their separate ways. The best track is the snappy arrangement of "Old Devil Moon." Dearie adds a quick bit of celesta to their abbreviated take of "There Will Never Be Another You." The four standards on this session are enjoyable, though they might have benefited from adding a second reed or brass instrument to provide some variety. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1    Buddy Banks–    A Night In Tunisia    4:26
Dizzy Gillespie / Frank Paparelli
2    Buddy Banks–    Almost Like Being In Love    3:19
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
3    Buddy Banks–    Bag's Groove    3:47
Milt Jackson
4    Buddy Banks–    Yesterdays    3:29
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
5    Buddy Banks–    I Love You    5:58
Cole Porter
6    Buddy Banks–    Line For Lyons    3:46
Gerry Mulligan
7    Buddy Banks–    You Go To My Head    4:29
J. Fred Coots / Haven Gillespie
8    Buddy Banks–    Buddy Banks Blues    3:27
Buddy Banks
9    Bobby Jaspar Quartet–    Old Devil Moon    2:30
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Burton Lane
10    Bobby Jaspar Quartet–    Autumn In New York    3:58
Vernon Duke
11    Bobby Jaspar Quartet–    Flamingo    3:06
Edmund Anderson / Ted Grouya
12    Bobby Jaspar Quartet–    There Will Never Be Another You    2:10
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
Credits :
Double Bass – Benoit Quersin (faixas: 9 to 12), Buddy Banks (faixas: 1 to 8)
Drums – Christian Garros (faixas: 9 to 12), Roy Haynes (faixas: 1 to 8)
Flute – Bobby Jaspar (faixas: 9 to 12)
Guitar – Jimmy Gourley (faixas: 1 to 8)
Piano – Blossom Dearie (faixas: 9 to 12), Bob Dorough (faixas: 1 to 8)
Nota :
Recorded in Paris.
Tracks 01-07: reissue of the Club Français du Disque 10" LP 33, recorded October 28th 1954 at the Geneix Studio.
Track 08: extract from the Club Français du Disque EP 6 "Vacances nº 2".
Tracks 09-12: reissue of the Barclay 

LES BLUES STARS - Pardon My English / HENRI SALVADOR - Plays the Blues (2000) Jazz In Paris 19 / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
Les Blue Stars   
1    Les Blue Stars–    Jumpin' At The Woodside 2:58
Written-By – Count Basie
2    Les Blue Stars–    C'est La Vie 2:33
Written By – Edward R. White / Mack Wolfson
3    Les Blue Stars–    Broadway At Basin Street 3:09
Written By – Sid Wayne / Al Frisch
4    Les Blue Stars–    Grapevine 2:32
Written By – Roy Alfred / Abner Silver
Les Blue Stars : Pardon My English   
5    Les Blue Stars–    I'll Remember April 2:21
Arranged By – Carl Jones
Written By – Don Raye / Gene De Paul
6    Les Blue Stars–    A Smooth One 2:25
Written-By – Benny Goodman
7    Les Blue Stars–    All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings 2:36
Written By – Harold Rome / Jean Blanvillain / Henri Herpin
8    Les Blue Stars–    Small Talk 2:40
Written By – Richard Adler / Jerry Ross
9    Les Blue Stars–    I'm Lost Without You Tonight 2:55
Written By – Helen Daniels / Joe Greene
10    Les Blue Stars–    Move 1:59
Written-By – Denzil Best
11    Les Blue Stars–    Did You Close Your Eyes (When We Kissed) 2:33
Written-By – Bob Merrill
12    Les Blue Stars–    Bernie's Tune 2:28
Written By – Bernie Miller / Mike Stoller / Jerry Leiber
13    Les Blue Stars–    Don't Be That Way 2:36
Written By – Mitchell Parish / Edgar Sampson / Benny Goodman
14    Les Blue Stars–    Please Be Kind 3:41
Written-By – Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin
15    Les Blue Stars–    Stardust 2:49
Written By – Mitchell Parish / Hoagy Carmichael
16    Les Blue Stars–    Promises And Lies 2:21
Written By – Larry Stock / Teddy Powell
Henri Salvador : Plays The Blues   
17    Henri Salvador–    Salvador Plays The Blues 7:01
Written-By – Henri Salvador
18    Henri Salvador–    Don't Blame Me 3:26
Written-By – Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
19    Henri Salvador–    Stompin' At The Savoy 3:39
Written By – Andy Razaf / Benny Goodman / Edgar Sampson / Chick Webb
Credits :
Double Bass – Pierre Michelot (faixas: 17 to 19)
Drums – Jean-Baptiste "Mac Kac" Reilles (faixas: 17 to 19)
Guitar, Vocals – Henri Salvador (faixas: 17 to 19)
Producer – Boris Vian (faixas: 17 to 19)
Vocals – Blossom Dearie (faixas: 1 to 4), Christian Chevalier (faixas: 1 to 4), Christiane Legrand (faixas: 1 to 4), Claudine Barge (faixas: 5 to 16), Fats Sadi (faixas: 1 to 4), Henri Tallourd (faixas: 5 to 16), Jeannine De Waleyne (faixas: 1 to 4), Jean Liesse (faixas: 5 to 16), Jean Mercadier (faixas: 1 to 16), Mimi Perrin (faixas: 5 to 16), Nadine Young (faixas: 1 to 16), Roger Guérin (faixas: 1 to 4)
Nota :
Recorded in Paris 1956 (1-4), 1957 (5-16) and April 18, 1956 (17-19).
Reissue of the Barclay EP 70 027 (1-4), Mercury LP 7182 (5-16) and Fontana EP 450 519 (17-19).