Along with Julie London, June Christy, and her idol Anita O'Day, the singer born Mary Loutsenhizer in 1927 embodied the "cool" style of midcentury jazz singing. Chris Connor and her rich, smoky voice emerged during the waning days of big band jazz, and she spent several months in Stan Kenton's forward-looking outfit. Something about her voice demanded more intimate settings, however, and she recorded a series of beautifully fragile albums during the '50s and ‘60s. “All About Ronnie,” virtually her theme song, epitomizes the sense of romantic obsession she would master in her music.