Saturday, February 14, 2009

Blossom Dearie, R.I.P.

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK premiered when I was about eight, and it played a large part in my early education (addicted as I was to Sat-Am TV). I learned my multiplication tables from it without even realizing that was what I was being taught.

I've been fortunate enough to see in concert the main musical force behind SR, Bob Dorough, as well as Jack Sheldon, the gravelly-voiced trumpeter behind "Conjunction Junction" and "I'm Just a Bill." But I never got to see Blossom Dearie, the wispy-voiced chanteuse who sang "Unpack Your Adjectives" and the ethereally-beautiful "Figure Eight":

Embedded Video



Ms. Dearie died last weekend at the age of 82, after several decades of performing live and on record. But her voice will keep on teaching kids forever.

No comments: