If there is anyone cooler than Blossom Dearie, for gawd’s sake let me in on the secret. And I don’t mean post-irony-cool, like Tony became after his manager-son paired him with k.d. Lang those years ago and rebranded him as a hipster-cred New Lounge Badge. <note: I worship Tony and am truly grateful for his autumnal renaissance>. Blossom is an element on the True Periodic Table; a building block. Blossom’s relentless pursuit of melody as a life/art theme floors me. Her style stands my hair on end. From her standards treatments to her own gorgeous oddball compositions (“Hey John” lovingly documents her crossing paths with Lennon on a talk show. “Sweet Surprise” lives up to its naif title every single listen, year after freaking year, and her beautiful fugue-state paean to “Dusty Springfield” is as happy-making a tribute to anyone or anything you’re likely to hear), Blossom ruled the Elliptical Artist Orbit. In this clip she follows the ageless gumdrop “I Wish You Love” with a four-handed improv session alongside her quietly excited French host. Adoring and adorable. Naturally Europe hugged her with airport greeting-lounge-strength at a time when to be a ‘jazz’ artist in the U.S. often meant you couldn’t afford a loaf of bread. She’s ours, though, baby!! Now Blossom’s gone, but you wouldn’t know it. Begs the question yet again (to my mind) – where does the love go? Whence the warm energy of this lovable sprite? Answer: the Hubble Deep Field.
Reading this it occurred to me that I don’t even know any of her later stuff, just the fifties stuff. Was just raving about her to some rock’n’roll buddies who sat, eyes glazed, as I blathered about yet somebody else from ancient times. You have to hear her take on Cole Porter’s Love For Sale, I insisted. Cole Porter they thought, really? But they were too polite to say anything, as I was driving. She makes prostitution sound like the cutest thing, I said. She does, too. Alas, I didn’t have the cd in the car, so we listened to Gang of Four instead. Outside the brains don’t run on time.
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‘Nuf sed, pal! You’re a dangerous proselytizer and walking encyclopedia of the lovely. I thought you might be a ‘Blossom’. Keep preaching. Your own blog is probably going to help save humanity.
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J’adore Blossom. Love that you love her as well!
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Thank you for the instruction in jazz elements. I am pretty unschooled in this subject, but I love music and want to learn more. I just listened to some of Blossom’s work, and can see why she she stands so tall. I look forward to exploring more.
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