Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland

Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland
Studio album by
Chris Connor
ReleasedOctober 1954 (1954-10)
November 1956 (1956-11)
Genre
LabelBethlehem
Chris Connor chronology
Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland
(1954) 		Chris Connor Sings Lullabys for Lovers
(1954)
Singles from Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland
  1. "Lullaby of Birdland"
    Released: September 1954

Chris Connor Sings Lullabys for Lovers is a studio album by American singer, Chris Connor. The album was originally released with eight tracks in October 1954 by Bethlehem Records before being reissued with 14 tracks by the label in November 1956. It was the debut studio album in Connor's career and helped established the Bethlehem company. The disc featured ballads recorded in the popular jazz sub-genre of cool jazz such as the title tune and "Spring Is Here". It received mostly positive responses from critics in the years that followed.

Background

Chris Connor found success in the 1950s as the lead vocalist for Stan Kenton's orchestra. She then embarked on a solo career signing with Bethlehem Records and was considered at her peak with albums like Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland.[3] The album was inspired by the newly-popular sub-genre of cool jazz. The Bethlehem label was newly-established and was struggling to make ends meet. Bethlehem producer Creed Taylor believed the answer to company's success was recording an album of cool jazz. He then chose Connor as the singer for the label's first album of cool jazz.[2]

Recording and content

Chris Connor Sings Lullabys for Lovers was recorded with Connor on lead vocals alongside the Ellis Larkins Trio. His trio consisted of Larkins on piano, Everett Barksdale on guitar and Beverley Peel on bass. The original release of the product only featured eight tracks.[4] The album contained a collection of ballads all performed in the cool jazz style.[2] Among its tunes was the title track, "Lullaby of Birdland", along with "Come Back to Sorrento" and "Spring Is Here".[5] A reissued version two years later featured 14 tracks, including the original eight songs and six more featuring Sy Oliver's orchestra.[5][6] Among the added tracks were early songs recorded by Connor prior to the release of the album like "Blue Silhouette".[7]

Release, singles and critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
DownBeat

Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland was originally released in October 1954[8] by Bethlehem and was first offered as a 10-inch LP. It featured four tracks on both sides.[4] The reissued version was released by Bethlehem in November 1956 as a full vinyl LP[9] and featured seven songs on each side of the disc.[6] The title track was spawned as the only single from the original disc in September 1954.[10]

The album was met mostly with critical acclaim. DownBeat gave the product three stars in 1954 and called it "a winning debut" for Connor and found she performed "in fine beat and phrases like an instrument".[11] Cash Box praised Connor on the album, writing, "If you’d like to hear one of the tops in jazz singing, then you've just gotta listen to this Chris Connor album."[1] AllMusic's Scott Yanow reviewed the 1956 version and rated it four out of five stars: "Connor, who was 26 at this time, is in top form in all of the different settings and displays a wider range than one might expect."[5] Will Friedwald of the book A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers liked the original LP rather than the 1956 version for pairing "exquisite standards" with "woofers".[7]

Track listing

10-inch version

Side one[4][12]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Hear Music"
2:22
2."What Is There to Say?"
2:55
3."Come Back to Sorrento"Ernesto de Curtis2:47
4."Why Shouldn't I?"Cole Porter2:46
Side two[4][13]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lullaby of Birdland"George Shearing2:25
2."Try a Little Tenderness"
3:05
3."All About Ronnie"Joe Green3:00
4."Spring Is Here"Rodgers and Hart2:57

12-inch version

Side one[6][13]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lullaby of Birdland"Shearing2:25
2."What Is There to Say?"
  • Duke
  • Harburg
2:55
3."Try a Little Tenderness"
  • Campbell
  • Connelly
  • Woods
3:05
4."Spring Is Here"Rodgers and Hart2:57
5."Why Shouldn't I?"Porter2:46
6."Ask Me"
  • Mark Pollard
  • Woody Hinderling
2:48
7."Blue Silhouette"
2:47
Side two[6][13]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Chiquita From Chi-Wah-Wah"
  • Benny Bonnacio
  • Jimmy Franklin
  • Jimmy LaMarge
2:50
2."A Cottage for Sale"
2:37
3."How Long Has This Been Going On"
2:35
4."Stella by Starlight"
2:29
5."Gone with the Wind"
2:22
6."He's Coming Home"Charles DeForest2:45
7."Goodbye"Gordon Jenkins2:35

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the 10-inch LP version of Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland.[4]

Release history

Release history and formats for Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various October 1954 10-inch vinyl LP Bethlehem [4]
November 1956 12-inch vinyl LP [6]
United Kingdom 1959 Parlophone [14]
Various 1973–1992
[15]
1986–2024 Compact disc (CD)
  • Bethlehem
  • Charly
  • Avenue Jazz
  • Jazz Heritage
  • Solid
  • Ultra-Vybe
 [16]
Circa 2020
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 AVID Ltd. [12][13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Album Reviews: Jazz" (PDF). Cash Box. October 2, 1954. p. 15. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Kahn, Ashley (2013). The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 14–15. ISBN 978-0393082883.
  3. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Chris Connor Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Connor, Chris (October 1954). "Chris Connor Sings Lullabys for Lovers (Liner Notes)". Bethlehem Records. US. BCP-1001 (10-inch LP).
  5. ^ a b c Yanow, Scott. "Chris Connor Sings Lullabies of Birdland: Chris Connor: Album". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d e Connor, Chris (November 1956). "Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland (Liner Notes)". Bethlehem Records. US. BCP-6004.
  7. ^ a b Will Friedwald (2010). A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. Knopf Doubleday. p. 112. ISBN 9780307379894.
  8. ^ "Music as Written" (PDF). Billboard. October 2, 1954. p. 22. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  9. ^ "November Album Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. November 3, 1956. p. 18. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  10. ^ Connor, Chris (September 1954). ""Lullaby of Birdland"/"Try a Little Tenderness" (7" vinyl single)". Bethlehem Records. US. B-1302.
  11. ^ Hentoff, Nat (November 3, 1954). "Jazz Reviews" (PDF). DownBeat. p. 12. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland (12" LP version) - Album by Chris Connor". Apple Music. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  13. ^ a b c d "Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland (10" LP version) - Album by Chris Connor". Apple Music. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  14. ^ Connor, Chris (1959). "Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland (disc information)". Parlophone Records. UK. PMC-1082.
  15. ^ Connor, Chris (1973–1992). "Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland (disc information for various LP releases)". Bethlehem Records/Polydor Records. Japan; France; US. MP-2340 (1973); PAP-23003 (1982); SOPL-283-BH (1984); YP-7103-BE, 3 (1984); SGD-36, BCP-6004, 36 (1992); COJY-9023, 2, YP-7103 (1992).
  16. ^ Connor, Chris (1986–2017). "Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland (disc information for various CD releases)". Bethlehem Records/Solid Records/Ultra Vybe Records. Japan; Germany; US. BR-5021-BCP-6004 (1986); 30CY-1432 CY 1432 2 (1987); 200252 (1991); COCY75722 (1993); COCY78661 21 (1995); CDGR125 (1997); TOCJ62016, 16 (1999); R279851 Y13688 (2000); TOCJ9307 (2001); 5172594 (2003); TOCJ6342 (2005); VICJ61452, 2 (2007); CDSOL6016, 16 (2012); UVPR10063, CDSOL45521 (2017); CDSOL3841 (2024).
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