JeansMusicBlog

Last sunday I heard Jo Stafford died wednesday 2008_july_16 in Century City, California of congestive heart failure at the age of 90. My mom was a huge fan of her since she heard her Thank you for calling for the first time.

Jo Stafford, born Jo Elizabeth Stafford 1917_november_12, was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards whose career spanned the late 1930s through the early 1960s. Stafford is greatly admired for the purity of her voice and was considered one of the most versatile vocalists of the era. She was also viewed as a pioneer of modern musical parody, having won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1961 (with husband Paul Weston) for their album Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris.

In my humble opinion it is a must to check her biography at Wikipedia.

I gather you can get within a few days everywhere Jo Staffords greatest hits compilations so I wanna stick with Jonathan & Darlene Edwards - Greatest Hits vol1 just to give you an idea how this great singer could also sing 'out of key', so difficult when you have such a perfect voice and ear....

I've seen some informative reviews.

This collection of fourteen Jonathan and Darlene Edwards tracks is, to say the least, hilarious. From beginning to end you'll laugh so hard your chest will hurt and you'll get a headache. Honestly, you may have to stop the CD and catch your breath a couple of times.
The opening track, ''I Love Paris,'' will have you on the floor, especially if you've never heard Jonathan and Darlene's work before. Darlene warbles her affection for Paris so far off-key that France should throw her to the guillotine, and Jonathan goes off on his own tangents while Darlene attempts to sing, doing a speedy chorus of ''Jingle Bells'' when she comes to the line ''I love Paris in the winter.'' Other songs are equally as funny. Jonathan mangles ''Dizzy Fingers,'' and Darlene's train imitations on ''Alabamy Bound'' will leave you in stitches. The couple's version of ''Stayin' Alive'' has to be heard to be believed.
If you've ever suffered through a bad lounge act in real life, Jonathan and Darlene's work will appeal to you, and if you haven't you can experience the pleasure in the comfort of your own home, only this way you can laugh with them, not at them.

Two extremely talented performers: singer, Jo Stafford and her husband/pianist/arranger/conductor, Paul Weston evidentally used to entertain at parties by performing as the UNtalented Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. Their "act" became so popular that recordings had to be made. Everyone knows that there are 8 notes in a scale from Do up again to Do. Not for Darlene. I have a feeling there are 23 notes in her scale and not many of them sound 'right' to normal ears. And her sense of rhythm? Whoa!
Jonathan, of course, is right there next to her pumping away at his piano adding more notes & flourishes than the composer actually wrote. Some of the songs on this hysterical album were unknown to me ("You're Blase") and others are famous, such as Cole Porter's "I Love Paris." Every song is done in a version you'll never hear anywhere else....or maybe, if you're really unlucky you will hear your own Darlene and Jonathan whenever friends of yours sit down to entertain you. Perhaps you could give those friends a copy of this album and they'll never play and sing again. This very, very funny CD also comes with a clever interview featuring the Edwards couple, themselves. Here is an example: when asked about recording "Stayin' Alive," Darlene comments, "...I was just trying to get through that song. I didn't really have enough time to let my vocal talents come through because there were an awful lot of words."

Check also Darlene & Jonathan Edwards greatest hits review.

01-I Love Paris
02-Dizzy Fingers
03-Take The 'A' Train
04-You're Blase
05-Alabamy Sound
06-Nola
07-I Am Woman
08-Don't Get Around Much Anymore
09-The Last Time I Saw Paris
10-Honeysuckle Rose
11-Autumn In New York
12-Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee
13-April In Paris
14-Stayin' Alive
Did you notice the two right hands on the sleeve ???

To complete this article I urge you to read a 2 page interview with 'Jonathan and Darlene' published Los Angeles Magazine © December 1982.