limhuifang (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

its just fantastic to listen to

sugar1on2top3 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Jo and Rosemary are both my very favorite singers.

jalex11 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I agree, but Holiday had her critics who criticized her for being too maudlin and for not possessing a remarkable instrument like that of Fitzgerald or Vaughan. I do understand your point though. Interestingly enough Billie Holiday named Jo Stafford as her favorite vocalist! In any event jo does have a gorgeous voice.

highnrising (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

jalex Perhaps. But in fact I recall reading reviews of Ella's Songbook series that did criticize her for sounding too happy. The critics love singers like Holliday and Edith Piaf, who sound near-suicidal. In any event, Jo Stafford deserves to be remembered in the same league as Ella, Holliday, Clooney, Lee. Almost nobody under 50 knows who she is.

jalex11 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Your argument has holes in it. Ella Fitzgerald was highly critically acclaimed and probably more well known than Billie Holiday. Ella also always appeared joyful to be singing and her personal life was never profoundly troubled like that of Holiday's.

SpearmintAltoids (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

ahhh, this is true music, miles ahead of some of today's so called music.

fringelily (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

As an old fart of 60+, i an thrilled that new generations of listeners are discovering the superb performers of this era afresh ...what wonderful singers Jo Stafford and Rosemary Clooney were, along with Ella, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and others, they represent a priceless musical heritage.

sherom (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Like Sinatra, Jo Stafford performed with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra. It's obvious both singers were influenced by Dorsey's smooth continued legato phrases played on his trombone. Just listen to Stafford's breath control on Autumn Leaves.Thanks for posting.

Andrianopoulos (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I absolutely loved her. Sorry she passed away in July. I grew up with Jo Stafford's hits, her voice as familiar to me as my own mother's. I wrote her a long fan letter in 1998 and received a lovely card and autographed photo from her in less than a week. (Margaret Whiting had given me her address.) She'll be greatly missed.

wecaan (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Yeah, it's Billie Holiday! She's a step above the rest. She's definitely not appreciated enough. So you want people to stop listen to her, or studios to stop releasing her stuff? It's not like she's selling like hot cake. Other far less deserving artists get the same deal, and even more attention. I don't get why you're hating on Billie Holiday, one of the most fantastic, and sadly also one of the most under appreciated artists ever. She died nearly penniless. She didn't see fame in her life.