Search - Jo Stafford :: Jo + Jazz

A MAJOR TREAT

MOVIE MAVEN | New York, NY USA | 03/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jo Stafford is now and will always be one of the greatest pop vocalists if for no other reason than her amazing ability to always sing the notes squarely, dead on! She is, in Mel Torme's words, incapable of bad pitch and tone. But that is, of course, not all there is to Stafford. If you've never heard her sing, you owe yourself this treat. Hers is a beautiful, sometimes throaty, sweet voice and her understanding of lyrics is second to none. This album was a departure for her, teaming up with some of the greatest jazz soloists: Ben Webster & Johnny Hodges, for example, with arrangements by conductor, Johnny Mandel. The songs are classics (Mercer's "Midnight Sun" and Porter's "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To;" Kern & Hammerstein's "The Folks Who Live On The Hill" and Ellington's "Day Dream"). I do wish there would have been more complete liner notes, but that is a minor complaint about a very major album."

An overlooked masterpiece!

MOVIE MAVEN | 10/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jo Stafford sings with former Ellington ulumni such as Ben Webster, with excellent jazz tinged arrangements by Johnny Mandel, Stafford allows all of the musicians to solo, and her vocals never sounded so warm(she had a reputation ffor singing coldly) perhaphs because this is the first real jazz setting Miss Stafford has ever been in, and it suits her just fine. This is an overlooked masterpiece, a must buy for anyone who has an interest in classic jazz, and/or jazz vocal."

One of Jo's Best

Jim Holtz | Madison, Wi United States | 06/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"American Folk Songs, Once Over Lightly, Swinging Down Broadway, Ballad of the Blues, & Jo + Jazz are Ms. Stafford's best albums. Jovial Jo, who owns the Swinging Down Braodway material, foolishly didn't transfer it as is to cd. 11 of it's 12 songs are on the Broadway Revisited & Big Band Sound cds. Luckily, the other albums have all their songs intact on cd. Now to the cd in hand, Jo + Jazz doesn't have one bad song, all 12 are jewels. My favorite song is Mignight Sun, a jazz gem with a Johnny Mercer lyric. Sun has a complicated triple rhyme pattern that totally delights the listener. Mercer & Stafford make one visualize the story with it's romatic outdoor winter setting. This version rivals Ella's. While Ella's band may rival Jo's, the latter's voice is subtly more powerful. I've Gotta World On A String, You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, & Love For Sale swing in a intelligent & hip manner. Her vibrancy works on those 3 in a freshly orginal way. In a style that outshines Peggy Lee, Jo is velvetly & dreamily vibrant in 2 of the 3 Ellington tunes, I Didn't Know About You & Daydream. Ms. Lee was usually all throat, too little vibrato. The 3rd Ellington tume, Just Squeeze Me, is the swinging appetizer that perpares us for a true jazz feast. Folks Who Live On The Hill has to be mentioned for its great dramatic & lyrical pefromance by Jo. If only that great verse was included! For lovers of great jazz singing this cd is it! Ditto for Once Over Lighly. The rest of those albums must also be included in everyone's great pop singing library."