Jo Stafford was a ubiquitous presence on the radio during the ‘40s and ‘50s, a pop singer with masterful pitch and crisp phrasing. After forming popular vocal octet The Pied Pipers in the late ‘30s, she went solo in 1944, securing her place as a mainstream star. She racked up hits with her sweet, vibrato-free delivery, balancing warmth and precision on ballads like “Manhattan Serenade”, made with Tommy Dorsey's band. But she could also swing, navigating the ebullient melody of “The Best Things In Life Are Free” with nonchalant élan. She had peerless comic instincts and scored her share of novelties, such as the country hokum of “Tim-Tayshun”.