Blossom Dearie

Margrete Blossom Dearie was an American jazz singer and pianist, often performing in the bebop genre and remembered for her light and girlish voice. One of the last supper club performers, she performed regular engagements in London and New York City over many years. Dearie was born on April 28, 1924 in East Durham, New York, to a father of Irish-Scottish descent and a mother of Norwegian descent. As a child she studied classical piano but switched to jazz in her teens. After high school Dearie moved to New York City to pursue a music career and began to sing in groups such as the Blue Flames (with the Woody Herman Orchestra) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey's band) before starting her solo career. She moved to Paris in 1952 and formed a vocal group, The Blue Stars of France, which later evolved into the Swingle Singers. In Paris, she first met her future husband Bobby Jaspar. On her first solo album, released two years later, she plays the piano but does not sing. After returning from France, Dearie made her first six American albums as a solo singer and pianist for Verve Records in the late 1950s and early 1960s, mostly in a small trio or quartet setting. In 1964, she recorded the album “May I Come In?” with Capitol/EMI Records. During this same period, Dearie performed frequently in New York supper clubs and in 1966 made her first appearance at Ronnie Scott's club in London. She recorded four albums in the United Kingdom during the 1960s that were released on the Fontana label. After a period of inactivity, Dearie released the album “That's Just the Way I Want to Be” in 1970. This was her last album with Fontana. In 1974, Dearie established her own label, Daffodil Records, which allowed her to have full control of the recording and distribution of her albums. Dearie appeared on television throughout her career, most notably giving her voice to the children's educational series Schoolhouse Rock!. Her voice can be heard on "Mother Necessity", "Figure Eight", and "Unpack Your Adjectives". Her voice and songs have been featured on the soundtracks of several films, including “Kissing Jessica Stein”, “My Life Without Me”, “The Squid and the Whale”, “The Adventures of Felix”, and “The Artist”. She also recorded songs with other singers, including Lyle Lovett. She continued to perform in clubs until 2006. Dearie died after a long illness on February 7, 2009, at her apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City. Her interment was in Flushing, New York's All Faiths Cemetery.