Vicki Brabham and The Emerald City Jazz Kings conclude their 2023-24 season with DEARIE’S BLUES, a tribute to the renowned, unusual jazz pianist and singer, Blossom Dearie.

Dearie’s distinctive voice and elegant piano stylings charmed audiences for over five decades. Her sophisticated yet playful vocal delivery, coupled with her witty and urbane demeanor left an indelible mark on the genre, her colleagues and audiences, who revered for her impeccable musicianship and unique interpretation of the Classic Songbook. A telling example of her influence comes from the late Portland jazz pianist Dave Frishburg: “During the late sixties I played a couple weeks solo opposite the Bill Evans Trio at the Village Gate on Bleecker St. and had some conversations with Bill. I asked him how he came upon his piled-fourths voicing of chords, and his immediate answer was that he heard Blossom Dearie play that way and it really knocked him out. Then he did a little rave review of Blossom, naming her as one of his models of piano playing. It was such a surprising response that I never forgot it.”

“I know”, Vicki writes, “you’ll enjoy treasures such as “Manhattan”, “Moonlight Saving Time”, “They Say It’s Spring” and “More Than You Know”, but there are also more than a few surprises that although unfamiliar, will be in your library of new favorites in no time. For all that life brings in its seasons, Blossom has a story and a song for you. It will be my heartfelt pleasure to share it.”