Annie Ross - A Handful Of Songs

The legendary Annie Ross is arguably the finest jazz singer Britain has produced. Annie Ross first came to prominence in 1952 with her song Twisted, a satire on the world of psychoanalysis, sung in the style of vocalese. In the late 1950s Ross teamed up with Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks to form a trio that would take vocalese to new heights of accomplishment. From 1957, they recorded seven successful albums informed by Lambert's gymnastic vocal arrangements, Hendricks' impish jazz lyrics, and, as writer Will Friedwald put it, 'Annie Ross' vocal muscle.Exhausted by touring, Annie departed Lambert Hendricks & Ross in 1962 to resume the solo career that had begun a decade earlier, and over the ensuing years she collaborated on albums with such masters as The Modern Jazz Quartet, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker and Zoot Sims. A Handful of Songs was recorded in 1963; a highly accomplished album arranged and conducted by Johnny Spence under the guidance of producer John Barry. It is typical of the high standards established by Barry during his tenure as ''associate producer and creative A&R man'' at Ember, when the cost of his use of the best London studios and recording technicians was consistently justified by superior artistry, if not always sales.