I’ve always felt that Jo Stafford, who died in July (see Not Forgotten, p141) was criminally neglected. She was every bit the equal of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and others in the pantheon of greats. Less showy than some of her companions in this arena, Stafford’s singing was always in service to the melody and the lyric. Listen to her definitive readings of Long Ago And Far Away or You Belong To Me if you need convincing.
She was also much more adventurous than many of her contemporaries when it came to genre hopping. moving flawlessly from standards to American folk to jazz to gospel to novelty comic numbers. And she knew enough to know when her voice was no longer at its peak and gracefully retired from further recordings. I’m not holding my breath, but it is my sincere hope that with her passing will come a re-examination of Jo Stafford’s place in popular music.
