Sold Date: May 5, 2022
Start Date: June 25, 2021
Final Price: $40.00 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 4526
Buyer Feedback: 0

Chris Connor

"Sings Lullabys of Birdland"

Vintage 1954 - Original Pressing

10-inch Vinyl Microgroove Record Album
Bethlehem Records No. BCP-1001
Chris Connor's First Record Album

Personnel
Chris Connor, vocals Ellis Larkins, piano Everett Barksdale, guitar Beverly Peer, bass

Songs
I HEAR MUSIC WHAT IS THERE TO SAY COME BACK TO SORRENTO WHY SHOULDN'T I LULLABY OF BIRDLAND TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS ALL ABOUT RONNIE SPRING IS HERE
Chris Connor's musicianship and vocal range give new meaning to some familiar tunes, which include selections by George Shearing, Rodgers and Hart, the Gershwins, and Gordon Jenkins. Though she sang with big bands early in her career, she eventually chose to leave them in order to sing in the more intimate confines of the jazz clubs. Her musical flexibility and her unique, personal interpretations found their home there, with much less backup. As a result, this collection is a refreshing change from the tried and true, showcasing interpretations with unusual chromatic jumps, quick changes of key, movements from high to very low register, and even a song in which she and her accompanists simultaneously work the song in different tempos. She never misses a note or a beat.

Swing is Connor's forte, and gives her songs new meaning by slowing down the pace and simplifying such standards as "Lullaby of Birdland," "What is There to Say," and the sweetly whispery "Try a Little Tenderness," all with Ellis Larkins's sensitive and simple piano accompaniments. "Spring is Here," sung with bluesy confidence, is one of the best songs on the album, and she hits every one of the difficult low notes, spot-on.

Accompanying Chris Connor on piano, Ellis Larkins was also the leader in the first solo sides by singer Chris Connor on, this, her first album. Also worth mentioning is the presence of guitarist Everett Barksdale, the old Art Tatum guitarist. At the end of the '40s he joined the trio of the virtuoso blind pianist Art Tatum. Barksdale replaced Tiny Grimes in a group that had modeled its sound after the popular Nat King Cole combo. It is one of the legendary jazz groups that is said to have never rehearsed, a claim backed up by both Barksdale and bassist Slam Stewart in interviews. Also of note—Barksdale came up with and played the iconic guitar lick used on Mickey & Sylvia's "Love Is Strange."