Betty Blake

Another singer I have not heard of but is great.... crystal clear voice... so thanks "John" for this one !!....I guess there must be loads of singers out there of this calibre that never got the recognition that they deserved...so have a listen and hear what might have been !!!

 
Betty Blake is not alone in being a singer people hear for the first time and wonder why she wasn’t a major star, but in her case the question is doubly bedeviling because she so clearly had it all. On her only album, In a Tender Mood, recorded for Bethlehem in 1961, she is simply spectacular: swooning and seductive on the exotic ballad “Moon and Sand,” with its spare, tropical flavor enhanced by guitarist Kenny Burrell; vivacious and swinging on “Let There Be Love,” a soaring sentiment goosed along by Mel Waldron’s rich arrangement centered on textures alternately soothing and celebratory; positively sensual and engagingly didactic on “It’s So Peaceful In the Country,” delivered in a pastoral setting enhanced by Burrell’s sexy guitar, Teddy Charles’ atmospheric vibes, and the warm sax work of Zoot Sims. Many of the songs here are written or co-written by Alec Wilder, who worked in both the classical and pop fields with great success (Sinatra once conducted an album of Wilder’s classical compositions). After ’61 Betty Blake was never heard from again until 2001, when notices appeared of her death from cancer at age 63. Twelve pages into a Google search produces nothing save press release boilerplate about her album reissue. Gone Girl,truly!