Sarah Vaughan Duke

Duke Ellington Songbook Vol. 1 (1980). Sarah Vaughan interprets ten Duke Ellington-associated songs on the first of two sets. Vaughan is accompanied by a variety of jazz all-stars, including trumpeter Waymon Reed, trombonist J.J. Johnson, and the tenors of Frank Foster, Frank Wess, and Zoot Sims. Bill Byers contributed the arrangements for the larger band performances. The emphasis is on ballads, with the highlights including "I'm Just a Lucky So and So," "I Didn't Know About You," "All Too Soon," and "Lush Life." Vaughan's voice is in typically wondrous form throughout…

The 1958 session took place in Paris with Quincy Jones doing the arrangements and leading a 55-piece orchestra. To match up this large aggregation would be daunting for most singers. But with Vaughan's powerful operatic voice, it's no problem at all. Zoot Sims was present backing Vaughan and soloing on such cuts as "Misty." Also present was the rhythm section of Ronnell Bright on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Richard Davis and Pierre Michelot sharing bass.

In the wake of the sometimes uneven live album In the Moment, Diane Reeves returns in exceptional form with a concept album, The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan. A tribute to one of jazz's legendary heroines, The Calling catches the many moods of the singer who became known simply as Sassy, delving into songs the jazz great popularized, including "Lullaby of Birdland" and "Send in the Clowns." On "Lullaby," Reeves summons Sassy's ghost with familiar phrasing and a majestic, powerful delivery. But it is on the lesser-known Vaughan numbers that Reeves really excels, making the standards her own. "Obsession" was recorded by Vaughan on her final album, 1987's Brazilian Romance. Reeves explores the emotional vehicle like an eagle, soaring grandly over surging orchestral accompaniment.

Sarah Vaughan - The Mercury Recordings 1954-1960 (2014) {3CD Set, Not Now Music NOT3CD144}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.17 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 533 Mb | Artwork | 5% repair rar
© 1954-60, 2014 Mercury / Not Now Music | NOT3CD144
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Standards / Traditional Pop

Legend has it that, on a Wednesday night in 1942, the 18-year-old Sarah Vaughan went to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem to compete in an amateur talent contest for the chance to win $10 and a week-long engagement. Although the events leading up to this are uncertain, there is no doubt that Vaughan sang ‘Body And Soul’ and won. Vaughan was contracted by the Apollo in spring 1943 to open for Ella Fitzgerald.