Making her name first with Stan Kenton in 1953, Chris Connor (1927-2009) eventually personified the “vo-cool” genre of singing. This collection of her Atlantic singles in a variety of settings demonstrated how she could put her own signature on virtually any style, and make it work.
A series of singles under the baton of Ray Ellis include haunting pieces such as “Go ‘Way From My Window” and “I Miss You So.” On the other side of the spectrum, she delivers some fun swing on “Circus” and gospel R&B on “Hallelujah, I Love Him So.” Most intriguing of all is a one-off with Herbie Mann and his Afro-Cuban Band that has Connor deliver a stunning “Senor Blues” as well as a richly textured “Misty.” She sounds intimate on trio reeds on “’S’Wonderful” and “Love Walked In” and has a blast on “Fortune Cookies” with Stan Applebaum’s orchestra. The booklet in the liner notes give much interesting background to this era of Connor’s career, one that should not be ignored.
Fresh Sound Records