Pardon My English - Blues Stars Of France

 

Don't Be That Way

Pardon My English

Featuring Blue Stars Of France

Mercury Records MG 20329

1958

From the back cover: Now dig this. Here are some of America's favorite jazz tunes. Here are some ear-curling arrangements in the most modern America idiom. Here is America's latest choice in vocal presentation, the quartet, but twice over. It's an octet. This whole dish is as modern and American as tomorrow morning's orange juice.

But it's all French, mais oui. The Blue Stars are all Parisian instrumentalists who turned singers when they became intrigued with the double-quartet idea in 1954. In less than a year, they intrigued not only the Continent but America as well with a hit recording of one cra-zee chanson called Lullaby Of Birdland, sung in French.

Well, let's set one thing straight.  There's one direct American influence here, the organizer of the Blue Stars. She's an American with the unlikely, but honest-to-goodness real and legal name of Blossom Dearie,  a former star with Woody Herman and Fred Waring. But from there on, this is all France.

I'll Remember Paris

A Smooth One

All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings

Small Talk

I'm Lost Without You Tonight

Move

Did You Close Your Eyes

Bernie's Tune

Don't Be That Way

Please Be Kind

Stardust

Promises And Lies