I'd like to introduce Blossom Dearie. She sadly died on 7 February 2009. She was a piano player who made some great records for the Verve label and kept doing so for her own label Daffodil. Norman Granz produced her early recordings for Verve. She played a mean piano. But what is notable in the studio records and the few live performances on record that she totally enjoyed what she was doing.

She had a girly voice and intonation that give you the idea that she is making fun of what she is playing and singing. Actually she showed us that jazz can be fun and that one should not take it too seriously but enjoy playing music. Music is to entertain. During her performance at Ronnie Scott's she started telling little jokes, instead of – as most musicians do – explaining why she played a certain composition with a lot of bla bla. Imagine that!

And the funny thing is: you do not notice that you are listening to Jazz: imagine that as well!

In this series it is customary to have a link between Procol and the artist that is introduced. Well, you will be in for a surprise.

Blossom Dearie used to play in group called the Blue Stars, of which she was the founder. It was a jazz vocal group and we speak now of the early fifties when I was just in – or just out of – my nappies.

One of the prominent voices was that of Christiane Legrand and you could say that this group was what more or less would lead into the Swingle Singers.

Perhaps this is an exaggeration, but without Blossom there would not have been such a great and intense Procol performance of Fires (Which Burnt Brightly).

Five of her records (EPs and LPs) are now re-released in one package including some recordings by the Blue Stars. If you like to listen to some very good piano playing and a lot of fun in playing very good piano and beautiful phrasing of lyrics, then please listen to Blossom Dearie. 

Blossom Dearie recordings at Amazon.com and at Amazon.co.uk