My Gentleman Friend — Blossom Dearie (Verve Records, 1959)

Blossom Dearie born on this date in 1924. By nineteen fifty-nine, Dearie had already conquered the Paris jazz scene and made her mark in London, but this Verve Records session marked her full arrival as a recording artist in America. Producer Norman Granz paired her with an impeccable rhythm section -- Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums -- plus Kenny Burrell's guitar and Bobby Jaspar's flute. Featured tracks: Gentleman Friend, Someone To Watch Over Me Deep in the Stacks is a daily jazz podcast from Kissa Kissa in Brooklyn.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Blossom Deary was born on this date in 1924 in East Durham, New York. She'd go on to become one of jazz's most distinctive voices, literally and figuratively. This is Deep in the Stacks. Today's album, My Gentleman Friend by Blossom Deary. By 1959, Deary had already conquered the Paris jazz scene and made her mark in London, but this Verve Records session marked her full arrival as a recording artist in America. Producer Norman Grants paired her with an impeccable rhythm section, Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums, plus Kenny Burl's guitar and Bobby Jasper's flute. The combination was perfect for Dearie's singular approach. That girlish voice everyone mentions wasn't a limitation, it was a weapon. She could make the most sophisticated jazz standards sound like intimate conversations, turning complex harmonies into something that felt effortless. The album mixes American songbook classics with French material, reflecting her years performing in European clubs. What makes this record special isn't technical virtuosity. It's the way Dear treats every song like a private moment shared with friends. She sings and plays piano simultaneously, creating arrangements that breathe with space and subtle swing. Start with the title track, Gentleman Friend. Notice how the arrangement builds through restraint rather than volume. The rhythm section establishes a gentle pocket while Deary's piano creates delicate harmonic textures underneath her vocal.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

When he's around me, I'm referring to my gentleman friend.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

That's the Deary magic, making complexity sound simple. The interplay between her voice and piano creates this doubled intimacy that few singers achieve. For contrast, check out her take on Gershwin's Someone to Watch Over Me, where she transforms the familiar standard.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

There's somebody I'm longing to see.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

She takes that well known melody and makes it completely her own through phrasing and timing, proving that jazz interpretation is about what you leave out as much as what you put in. My gentleman friend by Blossom Deary. A record that proved intimate doesn't mean small. I'm Danny from Kissakissa in Brooklyn. Go put on a record. We'll see you tomorrow.