June Christy - The Intimate Miss Christy

On June Christy's excellent run of albums for Capitol Records the vocalist was most often backed by Pete Rugolo's complex orchestral charts or by small, freewheeling jazz groups led by her husband, Bob Cooper. So The Intimate Miss Christy is a special treat for her fans as it finds the cool blonde singer backed only by Al Viola's guitar and Don Bagley's bass (though a flutist sits in on a few tracks). This guitar/bass-only approach was first popularized by Julie London and went on to be utilized by many other singers during this era. The backing not only suits the laid-back, cool jazz approach of June Christy perfectly, but it also means that the singer is never forced to strain too hard, as she sometimes did when working with the experimentally inclined Pete Rugolo. And while the vocalist usually put a dark emotional spin on her ballad readings, this album is definitely aimed more toward romantic entanglements than romantic regrets. The Intimate Miss Christy may be a fireside makeout album, but it's one that merits repeated listens even when the embers die out. ~ Nick Dedina, All Music Guide

Name Credits Al Viola Guitar Bill T. Miller Producer Bud Legge Flute Bud Shank Flute Don Bagley Bass George Foster Drums James Gavin Liner Notes John Brown Bass Jonah Jones Trumpet June Christy Vocals Michael Cuscuna Reissue Producer Patrick Roques Design, Reissue Art Director Ron McMaster Remixing, Remastering Teddy Brannon Piano