Chris Connor - The Early Years: Singles & Albums 1952-56 (CD)

Chris Connor was one of female jazz singers of the post-war era, who sang with the innovative big bands of the day before embarking on a solo career, with her albums encompassing not only jazz but stylish interpretations of the Great American Songbook which placed her among that coterie of peerless performers of sophisticated pop along with the likes of Peggy Lee, Jeri Southern and Sarah Vaughan. She enjoyed a career that spanned more than four decades, performing and recording into the 1990s, but this set focuses on the early years of her career as she established her reputation and laid the groundwork for her prolific album output through the late '50s and early '60s. This 73-track 3-CD set comprises early singles on the Decca, Capitol and Bethlehem labels, some with Stan Kenton's orchestra, plus some 'live' recordings with Claude Thornhill's orchestra, along with the tracks from her albums "Sings Lullabys Of Birdland", "Sings Lullabys For Lovers" and "This Is Chris" for Bethlehem, and "Chris Connor" and "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" for Atlantic. It includes performances with the orchestras of Claude Thornhill, Stan Kenton, Sy Oliver, Ralph Burns and Ray Ellis, plus the Ellis Larkins Trio, Vinnie Burke Quartet and small groups featuring Herbie Mann, Milt Hinton, J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding, John Lewis, Oscar Pettiford

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. You're the Cream in My Coffee
2. Raisins and Almonds
3. Come Rain or Come Shine
4. Sorta Kinda
5. Wish You Were Here
6. And the Bull Walked Around, Olay
7. Jeepers Creepers
8. If I Should Lose You
9. All About Ronnie
10. I Get a Kick Out of You
11. Blue Silhouette [Blue Sunshine]
12. Miser's Serenade
13. Ask Me
14. Chiquita from Chi-Wah-Wah
15. I Hear Music
16. What Is There to Say
17. Come Back to Sorrento
18. Why Shouldn't I
19. Lullaby of Birdland
20. Try a Little Tenderness
21. All About Ronnie
22. Spring Is Here
23. Lush Life
24. Cottage for Sale
25. How Long Has This Been Going on

Disc: 2

1. Gone with the Wind
2. Out of This World
3. Goodbye
4. Stella By Starlight
5. He's Coming Home
6. Blame It on My Youth
7. It's All Right with Me
8. Someone to Watch Over Me
9. Trouble Is a Man
10. All This and Heaven Too
11. The Thrill Is Gone
12. I Concentrate on You
13. All Dressed Up with a Broken Heart
14. From This Moment on
15. Ridin' High
16. Everything I Love
17. Indian Summer
18. A Good Man Is a Seldom Thing
19. Don't Wait Up for Me
20. In Other Words (Fly Me to the Moon)
21. Go 'Way from My Window
22. Past the Age of Innocence
23. I Miss You So
24. My Heart Is So Full for You
25. I Get a Kick Out of You
26. Something to Live for
27. Way Out There

Disc: 3

1. Get Out of Town
2. Where Are You
3. Anything Goes
4. When the Wind Was Green
5. He Was Too Good to Me
6. You Make Me Feel So Young
7. Ev'rytime
8. My April Heart
9. Almost Like Being in Love
10. High on a Windy Hill
11. Round About
12. Angel Eyes
13. You Stepped Out of a Dream
14. Why Can't I
15. Suddenly It's Spring
16. About the Blues
17. Oh! You Crazy Moon
18. But Not for Me
19. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry
20. I Wonder What Became of Me
21. Thursday's Child