Apr 1, 2021
Songs for Insomniacs 9: Beverly Kenney, “It’s a Blue World”
Among jazz vocalists from the 1950’s-60’s, Beverley Kenney was unique in what AllMusic calls her combination of “resiliency and vulnerability” “articulating an emotional depth matched by few singers of her era.”
On tonight’s lullaby, “It’s a Blue World” (1950), arranger Charles Albertine uses a glockenspiel (I think) — along with muted horns, strings, and the subtle piano of Ellis Larkins — to create an otherworldly atmosphere that cradles Kenney’s tender-but-tough vocal.
If you find the Decca vinyl at your thrift store, snap it up. Although Kenney isn’t well known here, Japanese collectors have made the original a collector’s item. But the cd and streaming versions are available.
