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Description
If Verve Records needed proof that Blossom Dearie wasn't merely a pleasant novelty act, this self-titled debut for the label settled it with crystalline precision. Recorded in a single frenetic session-September 11-12, 1956-this album marks the artist's first foray as leader under Norman Granz's production, alongside her own co-production credit. It's a declaration that Dearie possesses not only that famously smoky, intimate vocal quality so aptly captured in the original reviews, but also a first-class piano style that holds its own in a trio with giants. The instrumentation is lean and classic: Herb Ellis's guitar, Ray Brown's bass, and the crackling Jo Jones on drums. The result is pure cool jazz, unhurried but never aloof.
Musically, the repertoire balances swing standards with more obscure gems. "Thou Swell" stands as the album's crown jewel-a tender Rodgers and Hart ballad that showcases Dearie's lyrical precision. There's a charmingly languid French treatment of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "It Might As Well Be Spring" (titled "Comment allez-vous" on the tracklist), alongside "Tout Doucement," which adds a continental tincture to an otherwise American catalog. The inclusion of her own composition, "Blossom's Blues"-one of the few jazz compositions by a singer of her stature that survives-suggests the depth she was bringing to the table well before her "coffeehouse diva" reputation took hold.
Critically, the reception was mixed at the time. *Billboard* dismissed sales hopes, while *Cash Box* admired the "fragile, and intimate attack." Today, Scott Yanow on AllMusic praises the sincerity and swing that wins one over after just a few songs-though he's the one with the benefit of hindsight. This is the album that established Blossom Dearie not as a tourist attraction, but as a bona fide jazz artist with a point of view.
Vinyl Me, Please only reissued it on vinyl in the United States in 2019, proving its rarity and cult status. That first Verve cut remains a masterclass in understated brilliance.
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**Sources:**
- [Blossom Dearie (album) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blossom_Dearie_(album))
- [AllMusic Review](https://www.allmusic.com/album/blossom-dearie-mw0000049563)
- [Vinyl Me, Please Reissue](https://vinylmeplease.com/blossom-dearie)
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