BLOSSOM DEARIE: Blossom´s Planet

BLOSSOM DEARIE
Não é qualquer um que gosta de Blossom Dearie, até por motivos mais que justificáveis. Afinal, dela já se falou que tinha voz pequena e infantil, mais parecendo uma menininha a cantar canções de gente grande. Pode ser...Mas é bom lembrar que ela foi (assim como Chet Baker) uma cantora "bossa nova", que surgiu muito antes de João Gilberto ensinar ao Brasil e ao mundo que as vozes pequenas são muito naturais e merecem um lugar ao sol. ( Ademais, cantores & cantoras com "vozeirões", existem aos milhares: saber cantar é outra coisa, outro departamento.) Mas, acima de tudo, Blossom foi uma grande vocalista, cantora, arranjadora, pianista, compositora e - melhor ainda - mentora de grandes grupos vocais franceses, como o legendário THE BLUES SINGERS OF PARIS, semente dos "Swingle Singers" e "Les double six". Só por isso já merecia figurar no topo mais alto da lista das grandes personalidades do Jazz de todos os tempos.

(*)Blossom faleceu no início deste ano e em sua vida nem tudo foram flores. Teve um período em que "comeu o pão que o diabo amassou", quando foi casada com o saxofonista belga Bobby Jaspar, que era viciado em heroína e não conseguia dominar o vicio, como conta Chet Baker em sua autobiografia. E a doce Blossom que jamais se envolveu com álcool ou drogas, por amor - (ah o amor...) - se viu envolvida num turbilhão infernal.
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BLOSSOM DEARIE
Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist, often performing in the bebop genre and known for her distinctive girlish voice. Blossom Dearie was born in East Durham, New York. As a child she studied Western classical piano but switched to jazz in her teens. After high school Dearie moved to New York City to pursue a music career and 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. She moved to Paris, France, in 1952 and formed a vocal group, the Blue Stars. In 1954 the group had a hit in France with a French-language version of "Lullaby of Birdland". The Blue Stars would later evolve into the Swingle Singers. While in Paris she met her future husband, the Belgian flautist and saxophonist Bobby Jaspar. After returning from France, 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. Dave Garroway, host of The Today Show and an early fan of Dearie, featured her on several occasions, increasing her exposure with the popular audience. In 1974, Dearie established her own label, Daffodil Records, which allowed her to have
full control of the recording and distribution of her albums. Her distinctive voice and songs have been featured on the soundtracks of several films. Dearie continued to perform in clubs until 2006. She died on February 7, 2009, at her apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City.
(Souce: wikipedia, edited by CB)
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ALBUM REVIEW
Blossom Dearie was a unique musician and vocalist, one of those artists who could sing one note and be instantly identified. She turned out a stream of albums which have delighted vocal jazz fans alike. Her voice is as recognizable as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday's, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan and other great jazz vocalists. This album has a Brazilian jazz flavour: there are songs by Brazilian composers such as Ivan Lins and Antonio Carlos Jobim, along with Dearie originals, which she co-authored with the likes of Johnny Mandel and Michel Legrand. On Jobim's "Wave," she rides on a crest of strings created electronically by Cesar Camargo
Mariano.
(By CB)
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MINHA OPINIÃO - Blossom Dearie foi uma das mais importantes personalidades do jazz vocal, em todos os tempos. Sua carreira dispensa comentários e é imune às críticas, pois Blossom está acima do bem e do mal - assim como Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan e Ella Fitzgerald, apenas para citar algumas das grandes damas do jazz, brilhantes
estrelas da imensa constelação de cantoras de jazz. OURO EM PÓ!

(*) Para manter a alta qualidade do CD os arquivos estão em formato Flac. Dá um pouco mais de trabalho para baixar, mas vale a pena.
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BLOSSOM DEARIE: Blossom´s Planet

PERSONNEL:
Blossom Dearie (Piano, Vocals)
Jay Berliner (Guitar)
Ray Kilday (Bass)
César Camargo Mariano (Synthesizer Arranger)
Luis Peralta (Percussion, Drums)
Grady Tate (Vocals)

TRACKS/FAIXAS:
1 Bye-Bye Country Boy
2 Bluesette
3 Lies of Handsome Men
4 The Ladies Who Lunch
5 Love Dance
6 I'm Not Alone
7 La Belle Dame Sans Regrets
8 Go Away With Me
9 Make Some Magic
10 Wave (Jobim)