We’re featuring some ‘golden ladies’ of jazz today in Pick and Mix, including June Christy and Blossom Dearie, along with a new album from Finnish folk virtuosos Maria Kalaniemi (accordion) and harmonium player Eero Grundström.
Portrait of June Christy and Red Rodney, Club Troubadour, New York, NY, ca. Sept. 1947 Photo: Public Domain
Dubbed “that misty Miss Christy” because of her husky voice and her interpretation of the classic song Misty, June Christy gained fame as vocalist with the Stan Kenton orchestra in the 1940s.
Blossom Dearie was a jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer from the bebop era of the 1940s whose career continued right through to the early years of the current century.
Mielo is the latest album from Finnish folk musicians Maria Kalaniemi (accordion) and harmonium wizard Eero Grundström.
“Mielo is for me the powerful, empowering and multifaceted musical story of growing my own inner wings,” says Maria Kalaniemi.”It’s a combination of original compositions which together make up something like a musical migration. This music has come into existence over the last couple of years, which has been a very intense stage in my life. The music pretty much screamed and demanded release to be played, sung and shared.”
The New York Times summed it up nicely when it described Alicia Olatuja as ‘a singer with a strong and luscious tone and an amiably regal presence on stage’. She was in New Zealand last year as one of the top acts in the Wellington Jazz Festival – you can listen to RNZ’s recording of that Festival concert here.
Music details:
ABREU: Tico Tico No Fubá - Daniel Barenboim (pno), Robert Kassinger (dbass), Cyro Baptista (perc) (Teldec 3984 21482)
D'JAVAN: Serrado - Alicia Olatuja, Christian McBride (World Tune Records 2014)
PHILLIPS: Child of the Moon - Alicia Olatuja (Resilience Music 2019)
KALANIEMI: Pilvet - Maria Kalaniemi (accordion, vocals), Eero Grundström (harmonium) (Åkerö Records 2019)
KALANIEMI: Erämorsian - Maria Kalaniemi (accordion), Eero Grundström (harmonium) (Åkerö Records 2019)
JOBIM: Desafinado (Slightly out of Tune) - Julie London (EMI 791298)
JEFFES: Prelude and Yodel - Penguin Café Orchestra (Virgin 811487)
BARNES: Something Cool - June Christy (Realgone 136923)
TORMÉ: A Stranger Called The Blues - June Christy (Realgone 136923)
VINE: Red Blues (3) - Michael Kieran Harvey (pno) (Tall Poppies TP 190)
RODGERS: Blue Moon - Blossom Dearie (pno) (Avid 101967)
COLEMAN: I Walk a Little Faster - Blossom Dearie (Avid 101967)
JEFFES: In the back of a taxi - Penguin Café Orchestra (Editions 854038)
