Chris Connor

Chris Connor was a trailblazing jazz vocalist known for her smooth, smoky voice and cool, understated delivery that made her a standout in the 1950s and '60s. Born in 1927 in Missouri, she cut her teeth singing with big bands like Claude Thornhill’s and Stan Kenton’s orchestra before launching a solo career that solidified her as a leading lady of West Coast cool jazz. Her signature breathy tone and impeccable phrasing shined on timeless standards like “Lullaby of Birdland,” “Misty,” and “Lush Life,” all of which appear in her discography alongside live gems like her 1960 Ed Sullivan Show performance of “Come Rain or Come Shine.”

Connor’s albums, including *This Is Chris* and *Sings Ballads of the Sad Cafe*, showcased her knack for reinventing jazz and pop classics with intimate, emotional depth. Though she stepped back from the spotlight in later decades, her influence endured, with remastered releases (like 2014’s refreshed versions of her work) reintroducing her velvety voice to new generations. Chris passed away in 2009, leaving behind a legacy as one of jazz’s most elegantly distinctive interpreters.

Genres

Vocal Jazz

Jazz

Cool Jazz

Soul

Blues

Contemporary Jazz

Easy Listening

Bebop

Swing

Related Artists

Ella Fitzgerald

Sarah Vaughan

Anita O'Day

Peggy Lee

Julie London

June Christy

Carmen McRae

Billie Holiday

Diana Krall

Mel Tormé

Rosemary Clooney

Blossom Dearie

Latest Release

Misty

Chris Connor

Album - 14 Tracks - Released August 12, 2022