Blossom Time At Ronnie Scott's

For all her accomplishments, Blossom Dearie was essentially a lounge singer — a songbird whose nest was the piano stool, whose nook was the nightclub. It comes as no surprise that Dearie called Blossom Time At Ronnie Scott’s her favorite of all her recordings. Recorded at the famed London nightclub during the singer’s maiden visit to England in 1966, these songs capture a relaxation and intimacy that is often missing from studio recordings, even for an artist as naturally relaxed and intimate as Blossom. While “On Broadway” and “Satin Doll” display her talent for sly reinvention, “I’m Hip” functions as a calling card for Dearie, whose coolness credentials are never in doubt. However, the core of the performance is “Mad About the Boy” and “Once Upon a Summertime,” songs that prove the depths through which Blossom connects to tales of love. While her voice echoes a teenage girl’s tender infatuation, she delivers her songs with a grown woman’s wisdom and depth of experience. These qualities are fully merged on “The Shadow of Your Smile,” the centerpiece performance of this sterling set.