Sarah Vaughan: Great Women Of Song [VERVE]

Why you'll love it

This Great Women of Song compilation gathers 12 of Vaughan's best-loved recordings on one LP. Her original sessions were produced by Quincy Jones, Clyde Otis and Bob Shad, and she was named an NEA Jazz Master in 1989.

This edition

• Great Women of Song series

About the album

They called her Sassy, the Divine One and the Queen of Bebop, and Scott Yanow said she had one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century. Sarah Vaughan grew up in Newark playing piano and singing in her church choir, and by 18 she was opening for Ella Fitzgerald at the Apollo.

This set skips across her golden years. "Lullaby of Birdland" and "Embraceable You" show off the bebop-trained phrasing, "Misty" is a masterclass in slow, luxurious control, and "Cherokee" flies. "Broken Hearted Melody" brought her a pop hit, "Whatever Lola Wants" gets a playful reading, and the Gershwins are well served by "They Can't Take That Away from Me" and "Someone to Watch Over Me." "I'm Glad There Is You" and "It's Crazy" close the circle with the lush ballads she sang better than almost anyone.

She also won a Grammy and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Her break came at an Apollo amateur night singing "Body and Soul," and the prize was ten dollars and a week's engagement, which may be the best ten dollars the Apollo ever spent.

Also at Kops: more Sarah Vaughan on vinyl · browse Vocal Jazz

Tracklist

Listen

On Verve / UMe (cat# B0038235-01), the 2023 compilation.