Connor,Chris 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

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 26. Gone with the Wind 27. Out of This World 28. Goodbye 29. Stella By Starlight 30. He's Coming Home 31. Blame It on My Youth 32. It's All Right with Me 33. Someone to Watch Over Me 34. Trouble Is a Man 35. All This and Heaven Too 36. The Thrill Is Gone 37. I Concentrate on You 38. All Dressed Up with a Broken Heart 39. From This Moment on 40. Ridin' High 41. Everything I Love 42. Indian Summer 43. A Good Man Is a Seldom Thing 44. Don't Wait Up for Me 45. In Other Words (Fly Me to the Moon) 46. Go 'Way from My Window 47. Past the Age of Innocence 48. I Miss You So 49. My Heart Is So Full for You 50. I Get a Kick Out of You 51. Something to Live for 52. Way Out There 53. Get Out of Town 54. Where Are You 55. Anything Goes 56. When the Wind Was Green 57. He Was Too Good to Me 58. You Make Me Feel So Young 59. Ev'rytime 60. My April Heart 61. Almost Like Being in Love 62. High on a Windy Hill 63. Round About 64. Angel Eyes 65. You Stepped Out of a Dream 66. Why Can't I 67. Suddenly It's Spring 68. About the Blues 69. Oh! You Crazy Moon 70. But Not for Me 71. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry 72. I Wonder What Became of Me 73. Thursday's Child