Just about everyone has a favorite version of this song and Blossom Dearie's recording is mine. Sitting quietly at the piano with bass and percussion joining in Blossom maps out the man of her dreams and what she plans to do when she finds him. Another gem from the sadly out-of-print album 'My Gentleman Friend'.
from My Gentleman Friend (Verve MGV 2125) available on CD - The Gershwin Songbook / Blossom Dearie - Verve Jazz Masters 51 ((Verve 314 513 928) / (Verve/Polygram 529906))
14 Mar 03 ·FlyingDutchman1971: a reliable source tells me that this original album will be released to CD sometime in late 2003. I highly recommend it! 19 Nov 05 ·Nycteris: Una cancion conmovedora, en el registro que solo Blossom puede ofrecer, como curiosidad la version de Blossom de esta cancion y "Manhattan" estan catalogadas como insuperables.
La puedes encontrar en el disco de Verve "Jazz Masters" vol. 51 (que es una joya).
Blossom bounces her way thru this happy song about perfect love that has arrived just at the moment the end of the rope had been reached. She sings with a sense of joy and relief and you can't help but feel that things are going to be better going forward. Blossom's years of cabaret performing have given her a perfect piano playing style that accompanies her voice to a perfect fit. Kudos to Verve for dusting off this great recording, shining it up and putting out in a deluxe CD package!!
from Blossom Dearie Sings Comden and Green (Verve MGV 2109 / MGVS 6050 (stereo)), available on CD (314 589 102)
Another great performance by the woman I am in constant awe of. The great people at Fontana saw fit to record one of her live shows at the legendary London jazz club, Ronnie Scott's and it's truly a great thing because Blossom is in perfect form and truly pours her heart and soul into her set. The audience sits in reverant silence during this track and witnesses the great Ms. Dearie's intimate recital of this great song right up until the last word is sung and they can no longer contain their need to applaud and cheer. Much to my dismay, this is just about the only recording that is currently available from her years with Fontana in the UK, and the others remain hard to find if not completely out of reach.
A cute and amusing song from the 1948 musical, 'Inside USA', this song is perfect for Ms. Dearie's adorable voice. She swings thru a state-by-state list, hilighting what each state is famous for, at first on a factual basis, then going off in a whimsical frenzy with such phrases as, "Pencils, come from Pencil-vania, vests from Vest Virginia, and tents from Tent-essee, they know mink where they grow mink, in Wyomink, a camp chair in New Hampchair, that's for me!" I'm amazed that the Farelly Brothers haven't gotten this one to use in one of their films yet!
from Blossom Dearie, Soubrette, Sings Hit Broadway Songs (Verve MGV 2133) available on CD - Blossom Dearie - Verve Jazz Masters 51 (Verve/Polygram 529906)
This is a track of off Dearie's second Fontana album "That's Just The Way I Want To Be". An overlooked gem of a record, unusual sounding for Blossom, blending together jazz, bossa nova and folk with nicely arranged orchestration. "Sweet Surprise" has a dream-like, airy feel with it's jazzy waltz rhythm. The album is available on the japanese "Whisper for you" compilation. Unfortunately, her first Fontana album "Soon It's Gonna Rain" from 1967, featuring lots of Jobim and Bacharach songs, has yet to be released on CD.
from That's Just The Way I Want To Be (Fontana) available on CD - Whisper For You
04 Dec 03 ·FlyingDutchman1971: The album 'Thats Just the Way I Want To Be' is now available on CD. There is also a really good Japanese compilation CD of the Fontana and Verve years called 'For Cafe Apres-midi'. Several tracks from 'Soon Its Gonna Rain' are featured so those of us who love Blossom will have to savor these meager crumbs unless the evil music overlords open the vaults. 05 Dec 03 ·eftimihn: You're right and i forgot to mention the "For Cafe Apres-midi" compilation, this one features all tracks of "That's Just The Way To Be" except one track (they left out the opening track, not a bad choice though since it's the weakest track on the album and not quite fitting to the rest of the songs). Unfortunately there are just 2 songs from "Soon It's Gonna Rain", Meditation and Dindi, on it. But these sound absolutely gorgeous, arranged with some very cool harp embellishments. Too bad the entire album hasn't been picked up by some japanese label yet. 28 Oct 04 ·konsu: Great song, great album, great singer/composer. Why she's not completely worshipped in the USA I have no idea. I really have to disagree with eftimihn on the opening track, it's in my opinion one of the coolest things she ever did! Sure her jazzy renditions of evergreens and her more hip stuff are great, but to stretch out like she does on "That's Just the Way" is just sublime. What was she doing there? Some kind of CA inspired latin/folk/psyche-pop? Genius! True, it isn't like the rest of the album... Also her great take on Frishbergs "Long Daddy Green" is worth mentioning for it's uniqueness.
