Bonus DCE Mix #5: Blossom Dearie

Date

September 30, 2010

Miracler

Doug Patterson

Location

San Francisco

Brief bio from NPR on the occasion of her passing last year

The aptly named singer and pianist Blossom Dearie had a unique, childlike voice that, along with truly swinging piano work, could deliver scathing wit wrapped in a sweet package.

A consummate performer, Dearie eschewed jazz improvisation. And while her harmonies were inspired by Frank Sinatra, her pixie-like voice was counterbalanced by the muscular rhythms she pounded out in the manner of Count Basie and Oscar Peterson.

Dearie avoided working in cabarets and nightclubs for much of her career; her delicate voice was no match for the smoky atmosphere of such venues. However, she was a fixture at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan, where she performed regularly starting in 1983.

57 joyful minutes of Blossom sharing/singing stories in a 1985 NPR 'Piano Jazz' show.

Also, if you're anywhere within a stone's throw or a jet's trajectory of San Francisco and its currently perfect weather this weekend, stop on by the admission-free, corporation-free picnic-and-wine-welcome Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in GG Park. The lineup is awesome, as in full-of-awe: just a few of many Miracler faves include the Avett Bros, Bonnie Prince Billy, Conor Oberst, Elvis Costello, Emmylou, X, Fountains of Wayne, Gillian Welch, Jenny Lewis, Jonathan Richman, Jon Langford, NIck Lowe, Patti Smith, Randy Newman, Richard Thompson, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Steve Earle, and T-Bone, not to mention some actual bluegrass icons like Doc, Earl, Hazel. It's their 10th anniversary and they're pulling out all the stops.

Mix is up. Same password. See you back here or on our members-only Facebook page soon.

XOK