Jazz duet in Jazz Vocal Music

"Duet" (08/10/1993) Jazz Vocal Christy, June, Blue Note Records (USA)Personnel: June Christy (vocals); Stan Kenton (piano). Recorded in Los Angeles, California in May 1955. Includes liner notes by Will Friedwald. Personnel: June Christy (vocals). Liner Note Author: Will Friedwald. Recording information: Los Angeles, CA (05/05/1955-05/09/1955). June Christy began her career singing with the Stan Kenton big band, scoring such novelty hits as "Shoo Fly Pie & Apple Pan Dowdy" and "Tampico." Soon after she began her solo stint on Capitol Records, Christy teamed with the maestro again for just her second LP, DUET, a spare vocal and piano session from 1955. While it's a fascinating opportunity to hear Kenton's abstract piano style unadorned, DUET is primarily a showcase for the song artistry of June Christy, who along with Anita O'Day was pretty much the progenitor of the cool school in jazz singing. Benny Carter's classic "Lonely Woman" and Matt Dennis's "Angel Eyes" are given stark dramatic readings (Christy's orientation towards singing was always that of a working actress). The mood considerbaly softens however for Bobby Troup's "Baby, Baby All the Time" and especially Rodgers & Hammerstein's lovely "We Kiss In A Shadow" from THE KING & I.