Roy Stuart

Modern jazz, with its emphasis on the cool, can often warp a song beyond recognition. As the performer experiments and tinkers with tunes, this sometimes means a substitution of technical brilliance for simplicity. Sarah Vaughan, however, can be wildly innovative and still score a direct hit in the ears and hearts of her audience. For instance, Vaughan's version of "I Feel Pretty" captures all the charm of the West Side Story composition, at the same time imbuing it with a singular energy that enhances the song, altering it just enough to thrill the listener. She often changes aspects of a song, improving the piece's dynamics with her sense of tempo and range, such as on "Prelude to a Kiss." She's the proverbial singer who could make the phone book sound good.

Don't Go to Strangers was Etta Jones' first album for the independent jazz label Prestige when it was released in 1960 (having been recorded in a single session on June 21 of that year), and although Jones had been releasing records since 1944, including a dozen sides for RCA in 1946 and an album for King Records in 1957, she was treated as an overnight sensation when the title tune from the album went gold, hitting the Top 40 on the pop charts and reaching number five on the R&B charts.

Country music just wouldn't be the same without duets. The blending of voices, the lyrical back-and-forth, and creative collaboration between country singers have created some of the best musical moments in country music.