... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The album that really put Sarah Vaughan on the map – a killer set that really showed how sultry jazz vocals could sound in the postwar years – never overtone, nor torchy-cliched – but right on the money, with a sense of grace and poise that few others can match – even after all these decades! Tracks include "Black Coffee", "After Hours", "Street Of Dreams", "My Reverie", "I Cried For You", "Deep Purple", and "Just Friends". LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan may be known for an earlier recording of After Hours for the Columbia label in the 50s – but on this early 60s set for Roulette, the title really fits her style – and is perfect for the mature, melancholy way that Vaughan has of putting over a tune! Sarah always had a strongly technical side to her singing, but on a record like this, she also hits a more naturalistic sort of approach – almost in a Nancy Wilson level, in the way that she makes you feel like she's relating the tune to you personally – although with deeper currents of emotion, but delivered in a very subtle way – partly due to the stripped-down sound of the album. The instrumentation helps hit that late nite vibe that's perfect for the material – thanks to guitar from Mundell Lowe and bass from George Duvivier – on titles that include "Vanity", "My Favorite Things", "Sophisticated Lady", "Easy To Love", "If Love Is Good To Me", and "Great Day". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Classic work from her years at Emarcy/Mercury Records! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of pre-Mercury work from Sarah Vaughan – including some obscure material from 78rpm singles! Titles include "Pinky", "Perdido", "Black Coffee", "While You Are Gone", "Just Friends", "After Hours", "Ooh Whatcha Doin To Me", "Summertime", and "I Cried For You". CD

Sarah Vaughan takes on the work of Duke Ellington – almost presented here in a style that's similar to some of the Songbook albums on Verve from the 50s! Billy Byers handles most of the arrangements here – especially on the larger group numbers – but some tracks are also in a small combo mode, and are often the most interesting, because Sarah opens up with a looser feel than on some of the more "respectful" big group tracks. Titles on this first volume include "In A Sentimental Mood", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "I'm Just A Lucky So & So", "Solitude", "Day Dream", "Lush Life", "All Too Soon", and "In A Mellow Tone". LP, Vinyl record album

Great 70s live work from Sarah Vaughan – material that easily stands alongside her best for the Pablo label at the same time, but which is far more obscure overall! The notes on the CD aren't much – and obviously help enforce the obscurity of the sessions – but we can say that all the performances are from live dates, and backing appears to be from a trio led by Bob James on acoustic piano on some tracks – and by a larger group with Hank Mobley and Dizzy Gillespie on a few more. Sarah's vocals are simple and straightforward, but have a confidence and poise that's totally great – qualities that have always almost made her a better singer live than in the studio. Titles include "Sassy's Blues", "Scat Blues", "Alfie", "Misty", "I Had A Ball", "The Theme", "Lover Man", "What Now My Love", and "Lover Come Back To Me". CD

Sarah Vaughn hit a very groovy new style on her handful of records for the Mainstream label in the early 70s – a new approach that offered her amazing voice a way to stretch out with some of the new sophistication of the time! The arrangements are still jazz, but they've taken a direction that other younger singers, like Nancy Wilson, were following as the decade began – maybe more adult themes in the lyrics, and a way of balancing out the larger charts without ever getting in the way of the singer – which is especially important here, in the way that the album demonstrates that phrasing that not only made Sarah so unique at the start, but which got even more amazing as the years moved on. The arrangers are a hip lot who are definitely up to the job – and include Michel Legrand, Peter Matz, and Jack Elliott – on titles that include "Run To Me", "And The Feeling's Good", "Just A Little Lovin", "Deep In The Night", "When You Think Of It", and a nice take on "Easy Evil". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection – classic Sarah Vaughan recordings of material from famous shows, set to arrangements from Hal Mooney! LP, Vinyl record album

A hip album from Sarah Vaughan – one recorded with great jazz backings from Ernie Wilkins, and featuring a young Cannonball Adderley as the main soloist! The addition of Adderley's alto definitely brings a swinging sound to the set – a sense of soul that's even deeper than usual for Vaughan, and which helps the album live up to its hi-fi promise! Wilkins arrangements have a bit of a Basie bounce at times, but never overwhelm Sarah's vocals – and Jimmy Jones is also on the set, handling the piano lines. Titles include "An Occasional Man", "Oh My", "Soon", "How High The Moon", "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream", and "Maybe". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty obscure Sarah Vaughn album – and a nice one! The album's got Sarah singing with arrangements by Hal Mooney, who'd done work for her before in a more standard way, and who here is opening up a bit, at times almost hitting a groovy late 60s mode. Players in the group include Bob James (who also arranged a few numbers), Phil Woods, Benny Golson, and Freddie Hubbard – and titles include "The Man That Got Away", "Alfie", "For Every Man There's A Woman", "Jim", and "My Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s set from Sarah Vaughan, but one that's recorded in a classic small combo mode – acoustic overall, and a bit of a change from her other sessions for Mainstream Records! The date's a live one, and the tracks are taken at a looser level than some of Vaughan's studio work – a bit more open, and with a bit of conversation too – which is a nice surprise. The group's a trio – with Carl Schroeder on piano, John Gianelli on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – and titles include "I Could Write A Book", "Love Story", "The Nearness Of You", "Wave", "Misty", "There Will Never Be Another You", "A Foggy Day", and "Round Midnight". CD

Totally wonderful live work from Sarah Vaughan – a Berlin performance that takes off strongly from the grooviest styles of her mid 60s work on Mercury – but with an approach that's maybe even more unfettered overall, given the live setting of the material! Sarah's voice is incredible – working with an amazing demonstration of that famous range that made her such a key force in transforming jazz vocals during the postwar years – always swinging, but with all these inflections that really show just how much she'd developed her voice as an instrument during the 60s. Backing is from an unusual trio – Johnny Veith on piano, Gus Mancuso on bass, and Eddy Pucci on drums – players who really fit the groovy nature of the material – titles that include "On A Clear Day", "Passing Strangers", "I Cried For You", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "And I Love Him", "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Sweetest Sounds", "What Now My Love", "Time After Time", and "I Had A Ball". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a bit of a joke – because the record features a batch sidemen from the Count Basie band – Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Freddy Green, Billy Mitchell, Frank Foster, and others – all working with Sarah, but the Count's name is missing, due to contractual obligations! Despite that lack, though, the grooves are very much in the best Basie mode – full of soul and searing horn lines – at a level that makes the album one of Sarah's liveliest from the time! Players include Thad Jones and Joe Newman on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Frank Foster and Frank Wess on tenor, and Freddie Green on guitar – and Ronnell Bright handles the piano, instead of Basie. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Doodlin", "Just One Of Those Things", "No Count Blues", and "Missing You". CD

The title's a bit of a joke – because the record features a batch sidemen from the Count Basie band – Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Freddy Green, Billy Mitchell, Frank Foster, and others – all working with Sarah, but the Count's name is missing, due to contractual obligations! Despite that lack, though, the grooves are very much in the best Basie mode – full of soul and searing horn lines – at a level that makes the album one of Sarah's liveliest from the time! Players include Thad Jones and Joe Newman on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Frank Foster and Frank Wess on tenor, and Freddie Green on guitar – and Ronnell Bright handles the piano, instead of Basie. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Doodlin", "Just One Of Those Things", "No Count Blues", and "Missing You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a number of excellent albums of Brazilian jazz cut by Sarah Vaughan – a surprisingly great move for the singer, whose style had begun to wear thin by the mid 70s. The record's got a pretty faithful sound, and the musicians on the set include Jobim on piano, plus Mauricio Einhorn, Nelson Angelo, and Helio Delmiro – all Brazilian greats in their own right. Danilo Caymmi and Milton Nascimento join in on vocals, and tracks include "The Day It Rained", I Live To Love You", "Roses & Roses", "Bridges", "A Little Tear", and "Courage". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent early 60s work for Roulette Records – with work from Barney Kessel or Mundell Lowe on guitar on some tracks, and larger backings from Count Basie, Don Costa, and Jimmy Jones! CD

The title's no lie – as Sarah Vaughan sings here in some very soulful company – thanks to arrangements from Gerald Wilson, which make this record one of the standout from her years on Roulette Records! The other players aren't listed, but they're clearly the kind of top-shelf bunch that Wilson would have pulled together – and there's a nice Hammond player who gets a lot of space, and brings the organ to bear with Vaughan's vocals – in a way you don't always hear on other records! There's also a strong trumpet and tenor soloist, who both do a great job of opening up Wilson's charts – and titles include "Taste Of Honey", "Easy Street", "Gravy Waltz", "In Love In Vain", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", "The Good Life", and "Moanin". CD

A collection of recordings from the mid to late 40s, with accompaniment by Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Teddy Wilson, Billy Taylor, Don Byas, JC Heard, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

A great album on Mercury – one with a gentle groove, but at a level that really lets Sarah Vaughan expand to the full subtle power of her voice! Titles include "It Happened Again", "You Ought To Have A Wife", "Never", "Edge Of The Sea", "C'Est La Vie", "Don't Let Me Love You", "The Second Time", and "Fabulous Character". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sarah's few albums for Columbia – and quite possibly the best, thanks to some great small group backing, heard on 8 of the album's 12 tunes! The group's a really great one – with Miles Davis on trumpet, Benny Green on trombone, Buddy Johnson on tenor, Tony Scott on clarinet, Mundell Lowe on guitar, and Billy Taylor on piano – all of whom get some surprising solo space on the album, and make the record one of Sarah's best jazz outings of the 50s. The remaining tracks on the set have a lusher ballad style, but are still quite nice – and titles include "Mean To Me", "Goodnight My Love", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", "East Of The Sun", "Pinky", "Ooh Whatcha Doin To Me", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz vocal masterpiece from Sarah Vaughn – one of her greatest albums ever, and a record that raised the bar for countless vocal sessions in years to come! Sarah's working here in an intimate group arranged by Ernie Wilkins – filled with famous trumpet solo work by Clifford Brown, during his last few years on the planet – plus tenor from Paul Quinichette, flute from Herbie Mann, and piano from Jimmy Jones. Sarah's vocals are incredible – curving, turning, and lilting with a tremendous amount of jazz-based inflection – and titles include "Lullaby Of Birdland", "April In Paris", "September Song", "He's My Guy", and "I'm Glad There Is You". CD

Live recording backed by a trio featuring Carl Schroeder on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. CD

Arrangements by Quincy Jones – with titles that include "I Feel Pretty", "Sassy's Blues", "I Cried For You", "Lover Man", and "What Is This Thing Called Love". LP, Vinyl record album

2CD version – with 31 tracks in all – way more than the original album! CD

Very nice jazz-oriented material that has Sarah working with Jimmy Jones, one of her best accompanists, or John Malachi, who was in Billy Eckstine's band at the same time Sarah was with the group. All the tracks have nice small combo instrumentation – and Sarah keeps things nice and warm vocally, free to get a bit more intimate than usual in the album's casual setting. Titles include "All Of Me", "Lover Man", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "You Hit The Spot". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan's looking pretty groovy on the cover of this album, and she's sounding pretty groovy too – thanks to some sweet 70s backings from Ernie Wilkins! The style isn't exactly funky, but it's got some fully soulful sounds, and some great electric moments too – modes that almost feel more like some of the best Kudu Records vocal sets from the time, instead of the usual Mainstream Records groove. Sarah really fits well in this sort of setting – stretching out into groovier territory than before with the same sense of change that Ella Fitzgerald or Marlena Shaw were bringing to their music at the time. Players include Jerome Richardson on saxes, Buddy Childers on trumpet, Benny Powell on trombone, Jimmy Cobb on percussion, and Earl Palmer on drums – and titles include "Inner City Blues", "Magical Connection", "Universal Prisoner", "Tomorrow City", "That's The Way I've Always Heard It", "Imagine", "On Thinking It Over", and "If Not For You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sarah Vaughan's first albums of Latin-tinged tracks – showing the roots of her interest in Brazilian music that would develop even more fully into the 70s. The record features a large group arranged and conducted by Frank Foster – with a host of jazz soloists, plus Latin percussion by the likes of Willie Bobo, Jose Mangual, and Willie Rodriguez. Titles include lively versions of "Jive Samba", "The Boy From Ipanema", "Mr Lucky", "Quiet Nights", and "Moment Of Truth". Tasty stuff – and very groovy! LP, Vinyl record album

With Charlie Parker, Max Roach, and more. 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... CD

A collection of immortal standards performed by Vaughan, Washington, and Bailey with titles that include "Perdido", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Stormy Weather", "Summertime", "Moonglow", "Stella By Starlight", and more. Cover features a gorgeous panoramic shot of downtown Chicago in the 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare oddity – and a surprisingly nice record! Sarah Vaughan sings the words of Pope John Paul II – but set to groovy arrangements by Francy Boland, conducted by Lalo Schifrin! This trio of secular talents helps make the album much nicer than you'd expect – an unusual later project from Gigi Campi! LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Just You, Just Me", "Sunday", "I Cover The Waterfront", "Lester's Bebop Boogie", "The Man I Love", and "I Cried For You". 16 tracks total. CD

A landmark 80s record in the return of blues to the mainstream, right back in front of a rock audience with work like this – as the young Stevie Ray Vaughn cooks things up here on cuts that include "Couldn't Stand The Weather", "Stang's Swang", "Cold Shot", "Voodoo Chile", "Things That I Used To Do", and "Scuttle Buttin". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark 80s record in the return of blues to the mainstream, right back in front of a rock audience with work like this – as the young Stevie Ray Vaughn cooks things up here on cuts that include "Couldn't Stand The Weather", "Stang's Swang", "Cold Shot", "Voodoo Chile", "Things That I Used To Do", and "Scuttle Buttin". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan gets some backing from Count Basie – making for a record that's one of her jazziest and swinging of the time! As with other Basie-related vocal sessions from the early 60s, this one has a soulful edge and a nice little bounce – one that makes for a more solid approach that gets Sarah's jazz vocals firmly back on track, and away from some of the more overly-produced ballad albums of the time. We like those records too – but on a record like this, she really gets back to basics! Titles include "Perdido", "You Turned The Tables On Me", "Mean To Me", "Alone", "Little Man", and "The Gentleman Is A Dope" – plus 2 bonus tracks. CD

A seminal 70s side from Miles Davis – originally a Japanese recording, and one that returns to the solid push of the initial electric years! The record's a completely cooking little session – one that mixes the raw, noisier styles of other Davis albums with a focus, funked-up energy that's really set loose in the freer standards of the Japanese scene – all to come up with a sound that's completely otherworldly, and which is light years ahead of most mainstream fusion from the period. Pete Cosey plays some really wicked guitar and synthesizer, Al Foster kicks tremendous energy on his drums, Sonny Fortune brings a soulful depth on soprano sax and flute, and Michael Henderson creates massive flow on the bass. Titles include "Prelude", "Interlude", and a long version of "Theme From Jack Johnson". CD

... CD

One of the most compelling Bill Laswell productions of the 90s – partly because the work of Maleem Mahmoud Ghania is so great – and also because tenor genius Pharoah Sanders turns in some great work on the set! The core sound comes from Ghania's roots in gnawa – vocals and guimbri from the leader, mixed with rising voices and percussion from a larger ensemble – the topped with the sorts of searing solos that only Pharoah can deliver – usually at a level that's a lot more outside than most of his other recordings of the period! Unlike some other Laswell records, Bill doesn't seem to be involved at all in the music – and instead really just steps back and lets Sanders and Ghania really work magic together with the rest of the ensemble – on titles that include "Bala Moussaka", "Peace In Essaouria", "Salat Anbi", "Mahraba", "Casa Casa Atougra", "Boulandi Samawi", and "Hamdouchi". CD

One of the most compelling Bill Laswell productions of the 90s – partly because the work of Maleem Mahmoud Ghania is so great – and also because tenor genius Pharoah Sanders turns in some great work on the set! The core sound comes from Ghania's roots in gnawa – vocals and guimbri from the leader, mixed with rising voices and percussion from a larger ensemble – the topped with the sorts of searing solos that only Pharoah can deliver – usually at a level that's a lot more outside than most of his other recordings of the period! Unlike some other Laswell records, Bill doesn't seem to be involved at all in the music – and instead really just steps back and lets Sanders and Ghania really work magic together with the rest of the ensemble – on titles that include "Bala Moussaka", "Peace In Essaouria", "Salat Anbi", "Mahraba", "Casa Casa Atougra", "Boulandi Samawi", and "Hamdouchi". LP, Vinyl record album

Led by Chief Sammy Kofi. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Red Beans", "Willie Fugal's Blues", "Crawfish Fiesta", "It's My Fault Darling", and "Her Mind Is Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan may be known for an earlier recording of After Hours for the Columbia label in the 50s – but on this early 60s set for Roulette, the title really fits her style – and is perfect for the mature, melancholy way that Vaughan has of putting over a tune! Sarah always had a strongly technical side to her singing, but on a record like this, she also hits a more naturalistic sort of approach – almost in a Nancy Wilson level, in the way that she makes you feel like she's relating the tune to you personally – although with deeper currents of emotion, but delivered in a very subtle way – partly due to the stripped-down sound of the album. The instrumentation helps hit that late nite vibe that's perfect for the material – thanks to guitar from Mundell Lowe and bass from George Duvivier – on titles that include "Vanity", "My Favorite Things", "Sophisticated Lady", "Easy To Love", "If Love Is Good To Me", and "Great Day". CD

A perfect title for a perfect album from Sarah Vaughan – one of those wonderful dates from the singer's second chapter of her career – a time when she was finding newly sophisticated ways to spin out her songs! The music here is arranged by Jimmy Jones – who makes things lush, but never too much so – this beautiful balance he brought to other records of the time, such as his work with Basie – in a way that has Vaughan very much out front in the mix, working her voice with effortless ease, announcing to the world that she's one of the all-time greats, but never has to hit anyone over the head to prove it! Harry Sweets Edison provides some great trumpet lines to underscore the jazz in the music – and titles include "Dreamy", "Hands Across The Table", "Moon Over Miami", "I'll Be Seeing You", "Star Eyes", "Trees", and "Crazy He Calls Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little date – one that's presented here with a really classic sense of jazz vocal recording, but oddly the kind of record that Sarah Vaughn hardly ever got to make back in the 50s! The setting is spare and simple – backing by a quartet that includes Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown, and Louis Bellson – but all players are nicely relaxed here, and never too uptight, or trying to over-express their place in the lineup – and instead step forward gently, quietly, to match Sarah's wonderfully mature vocals on the record. Titles include "Easy Living", "You're Blase", "More Than You Know", "Teach Me Tonight", "Body & Soul", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "Midnight Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan gets some great backings here from Quincy Jones – who brings a nice sort of punch to the record, and makes it one of her grooviest from the early 60s! The style's still somewhat traditional – not as much in moddish Jones modes from a few years later – but there's already that strong sense of syncopation that really sets Quincy's charts apart, the same sort of rhythms he brought to his Reprise arrangements for Frank Sinatra and Count Basie, although not as Basie-bombastic overall. Vaughan's vocals are still beautifully smooth in the setting, and titles include "I Could Write A Book", "Maria", "Baubles Bangles & Beads", "So Long", "You're Mine You", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Moonglow", and "Invitation". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "One Mint Julep" and "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean". CD

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Sweet slices of work from a hell of a jazz festival – the 1963 Antibes performances, served up here in some incredibly hip material! The set begins with early work from pianist Dollar Brand – whose trio sounds moody and amazing on "Antibes Jam", then gets joined the great vocalist Sathima Bea Benjamin on a version of "Prelude To A Kiss". Next up is the soulful sound of tenorist Klaus Doldinger, whose group includes Ingfried Hoffmann on piano – on a sensitive reading of "Like Someone In Love", which really shows off Klaus' under-recorded ballad style. The great trombonist Eje Thelin follows – leading a quintet with Ulf Andersson on tenor and Lars Joesten on piano – on the very long "Antibes Jam". A Polish group follows with another long track – a sharp-edged take on "Well You Needn't", led by tenorist Jan Wroblewski in a quartet with Wojciech Karolak on piano. Last up is singer Sarah Vaughan – working with the Kirk Stewart Trio – on the titles "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "Tenderly", "A Taste Of Honey", and "Bill Bailey". CD

Led by Big Boy Dansoh. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection, and one that focuses on the hipper side of southern soul – with a few tracks each from Willie Hobbs, Dee & Lola, Vivalore Jordan, Oscar Irwin, and the great Sam Dees! LP, Vinyl record album

Massive! This is probably the best-ever album of rollerskating grooves – and is the most famous entry into a short-lived funk genre that sprung up around the rollerskating craze of the late 70s and early 80s. The rollerskate sound took a tight stepping funk groove from earlier years, and mixed it with the extended instrumental style of club music – creating a sound that was a mix of funk and disco that worked perfectly for skating around a track, and which had a huge influence on the beat of early hip hop. The centerpiece of the album's the massive sample track "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" – an instantly recognizable number that features tight vamping guitar and good choppy rhythms. The cut's offered up here in 2 parts – and the rest of the record's just as great, with titles that include "Roller Skate", "We're Gonna Funk You Up", and "Thinking About You Baby". CD features some great bonus tracks – the 12" version of "Bounce Rock Skate Roll (parts 1 & 2)", plus "Jammin Big Guitar" and "Rockin Big Guitar". CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Fantastic work from this mighty figure in New Orleans music – loads of Atlantic Records classics, mixed with other material too – and even some early R&B material when the Professor recorded under the name of Roy Byrd! All that, and a great booklet of notes. CD

Tracks include "Solitude", "Midnight Sun", "Key Largo", "Lover Man", "In A Sentimental Mood", and "Round Midnight" – 13 tracks total. CD

Nothing crazy and mixed up here, but a wonderful later date from Sarah Vaughan – one that's recorded with subtly sophisticated brilliance! The setting is easygoing and relaxed – far more so than most of Vaughan's records from many years past – and backing is provided by Roland Hanna on piano, Joe Pass on guitar, Andy Simpkins on bass, and Harold Jones on drums – all grooving in a warmly rounded mode that seems to further the already-great sound of Sarah's vocals at this point in her career. The record's one you might pass by because of the date, but it's easily one of the greatest Vaughan albums from later years – and tracks include "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "That's All", "Seasons", "Love Dance", "The Island", "In Love In Vain", and "Autumn Leaves". CD

A great little date – one that's presented here with a really classic sense of jazz vocal recording, but oddly the kind of record that Sarah Vaughn hardly ever got to make back in the 50s! The setting is spare and simple – backing by a quartet that includes Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown, and Louis Bellson – but all players are nicely relaxed here, and never too uptight, or trying to over-express their place in the lineup – and instead step forward gently, quietly, to match Sarah's wonderfully mature vocals on the record. Titles include "Easy Living", "You're Blase", "More Than You Know", "Teach Me Tonight", "Body & Soul", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "Midnight Sun". CD

A really rich album by Sarah Vaughan – recorded in Paris in 1958, with orchestrations by Quincy Jones – and large group backing that includes some great tenor work by Zoot Sims! The session's one of Vaughan's most cohesive albums of the period, and although it's got "violins" in the title, it's not too drippy or sleepy, thanks to Quincy – who keeps the whole thing moving along nicely, with just the right amount of swing and soul to work perfectly with Vaughan's vocals! Titles include "Live For Love", "Please Be Kind", "I'll Close My Eyes", "That's All", "Day By Day", "The Thrill Is Gone", and "Love Me". CD

A stunning live recording from Sarah Vaughan – recorded in the late 70s, when she was at a whole new height in her talents – and at a level that's far more dynamic and striking than some of her other records from the time! The double-length set presents the first-ever commercial release of a beautifully recorded performance originally done for NPR – with Vaughan in a very open, expressive mode alongside a trio with Carl Schroeder on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – working at a small club in New Orleans with a wonderfully soulful vibe! Vaughan shines beautifully on the ballads, but really blows us away with the swingers – hitting some edges we don't always hear on her 70s sides for Pablo, Groove Merchant, or Mainstream – managing vocal complexity with inherent rhythm, all with effortless ease. The sound quality is wonderful – and titles include "I'll Remember April", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "The Man I Love", "Watch What Happens", "If You Went Away", "I Could Write A Book", "Time After Time", "Somebody Loves Me", "My Funny Valentine", "Everything Must Change", "Send In The Clowns", "Sarah's Blues", and "East Of The Sun". CD

A warm, wonderful set by Sarah Vaughan – and a later one, closing the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1971 – released for the first time ever! Sarah is backed for most of the set by the trio of Billy Mays on piano, Bob Magnusson on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums – with Sarah managing to both portray heavy emotion and mood and also an easygoing, playful charm – joking with the audience and obviously having a wonderful time. Very nice! Includes the Norman Granz intro, plus "I Remember You", "The Lamp Is Low", "'Round Midnight", "There Will Never Be Another You", "And I Love Him", "Scattin' The Blues", and "Tenderly" – plus a 14 plus minute jam with the Jazz At The Philharmonic All-Stars – Bill Harris, Roy Eldridge, Clark Terry, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Benny Carter and others! CD

Totally wonderful live work from Sarah Vaughan – a Berlin performance that takes off strongly from the grooviest styles of her mid 60s work on Mercury – but with an approach that's maybe even more unfettered overall, given the live setting of the material! Sarah's voice is incredible – working with an amazing demonstration of that famous range that made her such a key force in transforming jazz vocals during the postwar years – always swinging, but with all these inflections that really show just how much she'd developed her voice as an instrument during the 60s. Backing is from an unusual trio – Johnny Veith on piano, Gus Mancuso on bass, and Eddy Pucci on drums – players who really fit the groovy nature of the material – titles that include "On A Clear Day", "Passing Strangers", "I Cried For You", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "And I Love Him", "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Sweetest Sounds", "What Now My Love", "Time After Time", and "I Had A Ball". CD

Totally wonderful live work from Sarah Vaughan – a Berlin performance that takes off strongly from the grooviest styles of her mid 60s work on Mercury – but with an approach that's maybe even more unfettered overall, given the live setting of the material! Sarah's voice is incredible – working with an amazing demonstration of that famous range that made her such a key force in transforming jazz vocals during the postwar years – always swinging, but with all these inflections that really show just how much she'd developed her voice as an instrument during the 60s. Backing is from an unusual trio – Johnny Veith on piano, Gus Mancuso on bass, and Eddy Pucci on drums – players who really fit the groovy nature of the material – titles that include "On A Clear Day", "Passing Strangers", "I Cried For You", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "And I Love Him", "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Sweetest Sounds", "What Now My Love", "Time After Time", and "I Had A Ball". CD

The title's a bit of a joke – because the record features a batch sidemen from the Count Basie band – Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Freddy Green, Billy Mitchell, Frank Foster, and others – all working with Sarah, but the Count's name is missing, due to contractual obligations! Despite that lack, though, the grooves are very much in the best Basie mode – full of soul and searing horn lines – at a level that makes the album one of Sarah's liveliest from the time! Players include Thad Jones and Joe Newman on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Frank Foster and Frank Wess on tenor, and Freddie Green on guitar – and Ronnell Bright handles the piano, instead of Basie. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Doodlin", "Just One Of Those Things", "No Count Blues", and "Missing You". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz vocal masterpiece from Sarah Vaughn – one of her greatest albums ever, and a record that raised the bar for countless vocal sessions in years to come! Sarah's working here in an intimate group arranged by Ernie Wilkins – filled with famous trumpet solo work by Clifford Brown, during his last few years on the planet - plus tenor from Paul Quinichette, flute from Herbie Mann, and piano from Jimmy Jones. Sarah's vocals are incredible – curving, turning, and lilting with a tremendous amount of jazz-based inflection – and titles include "Lullaby Of Birdland", "April In Paris", "September Song", "He's My Guy", and "I'm Glad There Is You". LP, Vinyl record album