Customer Reviews

At Mr Kelly's

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I seriously doubt that a better example of jazz singing can be located let alone purchased. Sarah's voice here is vibrant, young, fresh (In her later years it became noticeably lower, with the high register frequently taking on a forced, falsetto quality). There is little scat ("How High the Moon") but abundant improvisation (a re-invention of the melodies to "September in the Rain" and "Stairway to the Stars"). The set is not merely musically and technically impressive but affecting at a deep emotional level (her humming of a chorus of "Be Anything" epitomizes the warmth, sensitivity, utter sincerity of the entire performance). This is an inexhaustible treasure; I can't imagine living without it.

I never got to hear Sassy perform live, but two albums changed that: this one at Mister Kelly's in Chicago and "Sassy Swings The Tivoli" in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The biggest difference is that "At Mister Kelly's" features Sarah Vaughan with her trio of stellar musicians - no Quincy Jones. Her usual thang, just her and her fellas - and the synergy is fantastic and warm. The whole CD is great (half of the songs weren't even on the original album) and my favorites are "Stairway To The Stars", "Be Anything But Darling Be Mine", "Dancing In The Dark" and "Poor Butterfly" (it is wonderful when she replaces some of the lyrics with 'Thank You!'). In the liner notes, Lee Jeske says "that's the way she most liked to work, and that's the context in which she consistently did her finest singing." This CD makes that quite apparent.

This delicious disc only reiterated to me that we don't really have singers anymore. Not these kind.

Even in the midst of slightly troublesome technical happenings, which I'm sure you've been informed of, she does all that makes her "Divine"ly "Sassy." Such a contradiction is she as she weaves tender ballads [Embraceable You, September in the Rain] and swings on tunes with a little grease [How High the Moon.] Never one to disappoint the listener, or even leave him fully composed, she doesn't hesistate to dip and dive, supported by her ample-octave range.

Truly at one of the best points, vocally and artistically in her career.

Having witnessed the brilliance and power of "The Divine One" at Chicago's Vic Theatre in the mid-eighties, I have great appreciation for this live recording. At that memorable concert with her trio at the Vic she stopped at several points in mid-song to complain to the sound guy that she was hearing a hum in her microphone. In her inimitable way she snapped, "I came here to sing, not to hum." Finally she walked to the wings and told the sound guy to take a seat in the audience and enjoy the show, whereupon she made the necessary adjustments to the sound board to her own satisfaction and with out missing a beat returned to center stage and continued her amazing performance. Her banter with the audience and her trio added to a chemistry that, while mercurial, was intoxicating. As at that concert her performance on this recording includes her "sassy" banter, a dropped microphone and a lapse into humming when the lyrics occasionally escape her: But, oh that voice! That four octave, operatic range her nuanced delivery that composers and lyricists dream of, along with her swings from "kittenish" to "commanding" even at this earlier stage of her career had already established her as a singer, performer and diva unequalled by any singer, not only of her day but before or since. She is at the height of her powers here. By the time I had the privilege to worship at her feet some thirty years later, that voice had only deepened and aged like fine wine. This recording at Mr. Kelly's is an essential component to any collection of Sassy's vast cannon of amazing artistry.

What can be a better way to spend a quiet evening but to listen to Sarah Vaughan's live performances of beautiful standards in jazz ? She sings with incredible range and sounds perfect with every note, mistake and scatting. Sassy has always been a great artist to listen, dream about and love all at the same time. Nothing can rival her pearly notes and beautiful voice. Listen to her and be enthralled with her.

Jazz takes many forms, and this is one of the best live vocalist plus trio albums ever. Vaughan's interplay with the audience, soundman and her trio gives this album a depth and richness often lost in today's overproduced, slick musical world. Her voice is lyrically stupendous and displays incredible range. Her attitude is often playful, sometimes worldly wise. To me, this is jazz at its best: live, small ensemble, rich, real and, of course, Sarah...

What a great live performance from a true jazz giant! I personally have always been drawn to live performances more than studio recordings. You get to here a fresh, unincumbered singer, and sometimes you even get a laugh or two (as in Willow Weep for Me!) I can't say it enough, what a wonderful recording!

Even technical problems can't take a hold on a talent like SARAH VAUGHAN ,who manages to improvises in the process of delivering WILLOW WEEP FOR ME and HOW HIGH THE MOON.The fact that she always enjoyed recording in a trio setting tells a lot about her stature as a singer.SARAH doesn't need to be surrounded by horns and strings;she most of the times use her voice like a musician in a true display of an incredible range that was admired by the likes of opera singers.If you've heard I'M GONNA SIT DOWN AND WRITE MYSELF A LETTER and DANCING IN THE DARK done by CROSBY or SINATRA,theses songs are treated in the so called SASSY mold;she slows them down and realizes a totally original interpretation,so that it is almost unrecognizable.An ordinary singer could not have done that,but as you know,SARAH VAUGHAN was no ordinary singer.

...at first lissen, i thought a fight or somethin had broke out...(in my overactive imagination, i thought that maybe ella fitzgerald was bumrushin the stage in protest or somethin)...
but all that happened was that ms. vaughan had knocked somethin over...(dag! that all!?!?!)...
whatever mishaps or miscues occur over the course of this outting (and there are a few!) sista sarah holds it down!!
she aint jus 'sassy' here, she's funny and sincere and completely professional...she's for real and honest and that is somethin that studio recorded albums sometimes miss out on...

(maaan, thank god nobody with a camera or recorder was around when i was makin my mistakes!!! i couldnt be this graceful!!! it might've gotten ugly if it was me...somethin like "maaan, you betta gimme that tape!!")

sometimes adversity breeds somethin beautiful...and while this is far from being sista sarah's technical best, it most definitely is one of her warmest recordings and i enjoy it more than her other so-called 'soulful' performances...yall cant go wrong with this one...

A live Jazz reording from more than forty years ago of a spectacular vocal appearance. Thank goodness for CDs to remind us of what the combination of music and clear voice was really like during this golden age before our time now of manufactured music. Will contribute to anyone's music treasures.