As Clear As A Spanish Town At Noon… Thoughts on Jo Stafford

She was before my time. I am not sure why I liked her. Maybe because my dad was a Vet during World War II, I am not sure. But I am a fan of many of those World War II tunes, the big band era and the American Song book. For many in my confirmation class who relate to hip hop and Justin Timberlake it is strange music. The music that Jo Stafford sang seemed like it was from a happier time…. She sang many things, some of which were war tunes that seemed to inspire people who suffered from separation from those who went off to defend our country.

Examples of those melodies are "I will never smile again until I smile at you…" or "I will be seeing you in all those old familiar places…" or "Saturday night is the loneliest night of the week…" or the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of company B by the Andrew Sisters and others.

If you appreciate the American Song book like I do, you must be saddened by her death, as she is one of the original singers of that historic era.

I first became acquainted with her work through the Pipe Pipers and the Tommy Dorsey Band that Frank Sinatra sang with in the early 40s. I last saw her on a special that honored Frank Sinatra. She came out of retirement to sing a rendition of ”I will never smile again" with the Pipe Pipers. I still have a tape of the old geezers reuniting.

I am a child of the 60s, but the music of Harold Arlen, Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart, Allen J Learner, Irving Berlin and many others from that era and Tin Pan Ally always wrapped themselves around my ears. Their work is always an amazing experience. It could be sung by Judy Garland or Peggy Lee or Ella Fitzgerald and, of course, Jo Stafford

Jo Stafford is well known for her big hit "You belong to me." Jonathan Schwartz said that she sang "directly in the center of the note, and her sound was as clear as a Spanish town at noon."