'She floored me. I was in shock': Blossom Dearie, the jazz singer with the diminutive voice and vast talent

A new box set explores how the American singer - now beloved of Kylie and more - was embraced by swinging London. Those who knew her recall a star who gently trod her own path With a name akin to a character from Roald Dahl's stories and an equally naive singing voice some labelled as childish, Blossom Dearie hardly exuded star quality. "She was definitely not an entertainer," admits Arlene Corwin, a friend and jazz singing contemporary of Dearie's in mid-century nightclubs. "But her piano was g...