Blossom Dearie(1924 — 2009)
Blossom Dearie
États-Unis
6 min read
Blossom Dearie (1924-2009) was an American jazz pianist and singer, recognizable by her light, delicate voice. A figure of intimate vocal jazz, she accompanied herself on piano in the clubs of New York and Paris.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born on April 28, 1924, in East Durham, in New York State
- Settles in Paris in the early 1950s, where she founds the vocal group The Blue Stars
- The group achieves success in 1954 with a version of “Lullaby of Birdland”
- Back in the United States, she records for the Verve label in the late 1950s
- Founds her own independent label, Daffodil Records, in 1974; dies on February 7, 2009, in New York
Works & Achievements
A French-language sung adaptation of George Shearing's standard; this hit by the Blue Stars vocal group brought her to public attention.
Her first American album as a leader, laying the foundations of her style: a light voice and intimate piano.
One of her flagship records from the Verve period, featuring songs from the Great American Songbook.
An album whose title track is the English adaptation of Michel Legrand's “La Valse des lilas”.
Two witty songs penned notably by lyricist Dave Frishberg, which she established as classics full of humor and swing.
An educational song for American television that brought her voice to generations of children.
The creation of her own independent label, a rare move that gave her control over her recordings.
Anecdotes
According to the story she liked to tell, her unusual first name, Blossom, came from the peach blossoms that neighbors brought to the family home in the Catskill Mountains around the time of her birth in 1924. That poetic name suited her soft, delicate voice perfectly — one of the most recognizable in vocal jazz.
In the early 1950s, while living in Paris, she founded a vocal group, the Blue Stars. Their French adaptation of the tune “Lullaby of Birdland” became a surprise hit in the mid-1950s. The group would later produce singers who went on to form the famous Swingle Singers.
Her light, almost childlike voice did not carry far, so Blossom Dearie demanded total silence from her audience. In the clubs, she did not hesitate to stop and hush the chatterers, since she often sang in barely more than a whisper, accompanied only by her own piano.
Millions of American children heard her voice without knowing her name. In the 1970s, she sang for the educational television series Schoolhouse Rock!, notably the song “Figure Eight,” which teaches multiplication through music.
In 1974, tired of the record industry, she created her own label, Daffodil Records. She thus became one of the few artists of her time — and, even more rarely, one of the few women — to own and control her own recordings.
Primary Sources
Figure eight is double four, figure four is half of eight.
Unpack your adjectives.
Blossom Dearie's first American album as a leader: she sings while accompanying herself on the piano, in the intimate, hushed style that would make her reputation.
Key Places
Village in the Catskills where Blossom Dearie was born in 1924.
Capital where she settled in the early 1950s and founded the vocal group the Blue Stars, at the height of the golden age of Parisian jazz.
Bohemian Manhattan neighborhood where she lived and performed for many years, and where she died in 2009.
City where she held long residencies at jazz clubs such as Ronnie Scott's.
