Disclaimer: this countdown isn’t meant to be an all-time definitive list. These are simply my favorites.
I’ll admit that I’m not a jazz connoisseur, although I do like big band, New Orleans jazz, and some of the big names like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
But when it comes to that late-night, supper-club kind of jazz there’s one name I go to: Blossom Dearie. Yep, that’s her real name — her first name was Margrethe.
Most people in my generation would know her from one particular cultural phenomenon: Schoolhouse Rock.
But her real milieu was an intimate brand of jazz that made perfect use of her airy, light voice.
When I hear her voice, I think of class and sophistication, and she bowls me over. Her phrasing is impeccable, and she hits every note flawlessly.
Paris loved her…
…and so do I.
If you’re interested in following along with what I’ve written so far, here’s #12 in the countdown, and you can work back from there.
Photo: YouTube / Leschanteuses Echevelées