Blossom Dearie – Give Him The Ooh-La-La (1958/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Blossom Dearie – Give Him The Ooh-La-La (1958/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 38:17 minutes | 1,60 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Verve

Blossom Dearie’s second album for Verve, released in 1958, continued a streak of success that began with her first LP the year before. The jazz vocalist and pianist covers standards including the title song by Cole Porter, along with less familiar but no less impressive tunes. Dearie is backed on this session by the same stellar musicians as on her debut: guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones.

Of the six recordings Blossom Dearie did for the Verve label in the ’50s, Give Him the Ooh-La-La is the third one to be released on CD. Three titles still remain in the vaults including a Betty Comden and Johnny Green tribute as well as a Broadway Hits collection. It’s a shame because Dearie’s girlishly dynamic voice, subtle piano playing, and rarified choice of contemporary material made her recordings unique among ’50s jazz vocal outings. Give Him the Ooh-La-La is no exception, with stellar backing by regular bassist Ray Brown, drummer Jo Jones and guitarist Herb Ellis, and Dearie’s taut arrangements of a set of glowing ballads and brisk swingers. Included are a few well-worn standards like “Just One of Those Things” and “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.” More intriguing, however, are Dearie’s inclusion of obscure titles like Cy Coleman’s “The Riviera,” a tongue and cheek portrait of Europe’s playground, as well as his “I Walk a Little Faster.” Additionally, there’s the gently executed and innocuous self-help number “Try Your Wings,” a bouncy “The Middle of Love,” and a nod to her club stint in Paris with the French tune “Plus Je T’Embrasse.” As usual, both Dearie’s piano and voice are instilled with impeccable playfulness on mischievous numbers like the title track and in the tender pathos of ballads such as “Like Someone in Love.” Like Dearie’s two other available titles Blossom Dearie and Once Upon a Summertime, Give Him the Ooh-La-La features a great collection of tunes from the high point of her recording career. The dilemma is not which recording to get, but where to start. ~~ AllMusic Review by Stephen Cook

Tracklist:

01. Blossom Dearie – Just One Of Those Things (02:03)
02. Blossom Dearie – Like Someone In Love (04:33)
03. Blossom Dearie – Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (02:28)
04. Blossom Dearie – They Say It’s Spring (03:46)
05. Blossom Dearie – Try Your Wings (03:25)
06. Blossom Dearie – Bang Goes The Drum (03:24)
07. Blossom Dearie – The Riviera (03:48)
08. Blossom Dearie – The Middle Of Love (02:35)
09. Blossom Dearie – Plus Je T’embrasse (02:31)
10. Blossom Dearie – Give Him The Ooh-La-La (02:41)
11. Blossom Dearie – Let Me Love You (02:45)
12. Blossom Dearie – I Walk A Little Faster (04:12)

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