I’ll Be Seeing You: Jo Stafford, 1917-2008
Posted in Jazz Notes on Jul 18th, 2008
Jo Stafford, one of the last great vocalists from the “songbird” era of big band vocalists, passed away Wednesday at the age of 90. A World War II icon dubbed “GI Jo” and beloved by soldiers for her performances and recordings such as “Long Ago and Far Away,” Stafford possessed one of the most graceful, limpid voices in the postwar popular music world, and she retained her popularity into the 1950s, scoring hits on her own and with Frankie Laine.
“Even White Girls Get the Blues” is a look at three late-1950s blues-concept LPs by white female vocalists. Selections are included from Lee Wiley’s 1957 RCA album A Touch of the Blues (backed by Billy Butterfield and His Orchestra), Julie London’s 1957 “blues noir” LP About the Blues, and Jo Stafford’s 1959 concept record…
