Solid!

Jo Stafford

Jo + Jazz

Corinthian

This album is undoubtedly one of Jo Stafford's finest works. Backed by an all-star group of musicians Jo puts her best foot forward to sing twelve remarkable jazz numbers. Unfortunately when this album was first released in 1961 it didn't receive the proper promotion and had remained relatively obscure until Stafford and her husband, orchestra conductor Paul Weston, re-released it in the late 1970s. Today it has finally been recognized as the great jazz album that it is.

One of the best numbers on Jo + Jazz has to be ''The Folks Who Live On The Hill.'' Jo falls easily into the song's mellow, almost dream-like rhythm and weaves a haunting spell with the song's overly-sentimental lyrics. She does seem to do best with the slow numbers on this album. On ''Imagination'' she wraps you in a hazy cloud with her vocal daydreaming. Her intonations and melody are very interesting. She sings the song in a way different from how others have performed it. ''Midnight Sun'' also finds her at her best. Her clear, almost vibrato-less voice melds perfectly with the instrumental accompaniment.

Of course, Jo handles the upbeat tunes just as magically as she does the slow numbers. ''I've Got The World On A String'' and ''What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry'' are great, swinging numbers, and the mid-tempo numbers, ''I Didn't Know About You'' and ''Dream Of You,'' are also quite enjoyable. All in all, Jo + Jazz is a recommended part of any classic jazz collection, and it is a must for Jo Stafford fans.

Track Listing

• 1. Just Squeeze Me
• 2. For You
• 3. Midnight Sun
• 4. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
• 5. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
• 6. I Didn't Know About You
• 7. What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry
• 8. Dream Of You
• 9. Imagination
• 10. S'posin
• 11. Day Dream
• 12. I've Got The World On A String

Read other Jo Stafford reviews:

• Big Band Sound
• Capitol Collector's Series
• G.I. Jo -- Songs of World War II
• Great Ladies of Song: Spotlight on Jo Stafford