Let’s be clear about one thing from the start. This is more of a pop album than a jazz album, and anyone who buys My Gentleman Friend for the presence of any of the other musicians involved – ...

“Blossom Dearie (above) and I had been friends since 1954. Whenever she came to London to play at Ronnie Scott's, she stayed at Shirley Bassey’s London apartment. When she visited with Jim and me in ...

However, Blossom Dearie (1924–2009) was not just about her voice (or her oft-commented on name). Her father was Scottish, her mother Norwegian. She was a classically trained pianist and, in time, a ...

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new reissue of Blossom Dearie's 1959 album, My Gentleman Friend, on Verve records.