“ONCE UPON A SUMMERTIME.” Blossom Dearie. Verve...

“ONCE UPON A SUMMERTIME.” Blossom Dearie. Verve 827-757-1. Before she had discovered her own talent as a songwriter, Blossom Dearie was content to record the works of others, with a first-rate jazz backing. Her wafer-thin voice still suggests a 33 r.p.m. disc played at 45; her piano is at its most expressively elegant in the company of Mundell Lowe’s guitar, Ray Brown’s bass and Ed Thigpen’s drums. The songs are “Manhattan,” “Teach Me Tonight” and 10 others of the same caliber. To sum up Dearie’s persona, one need only cite one of the numbers heard here: It amazes me. 5 stars.