Customer Reviews

The Best of Sarah Vaughan: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection

5 star:		(7)
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3 star:		(1)
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Do you want to know what real vocal jazz is all about? Do you want to listen to a lady who has class, who was the Billie Holiday of the 40's - 60's, and has vocal chops not heard in today's singers? Look no further. Sarah's style is so perfect and crystal clear that anybody who loves good singers (rock, soul, jazz) will really enjoy giving this a listen. This is the best Sarah Vaughan collection around, and it does her justice.

"Hey There" and "It Could Happen To You" feature a beautiful duet with one of the best choirs out there, the Sevend Saaby Choir. They were recorded in 1963, are wonderful and fit right in with the compilation. Bull Moose Jackson joins Sarah on "Broken Hearted Melody," a 1950s-like rock version of this classic song. The guests sound great, and Sarah is at her very best. Top notch voice and nice 24.bit remastering job. *Highly Reccommended!*

Overall Sarah Vaughan is a wonderful singer. If you liked this one, check out these other Sarah Vaughan CDs:

Ken Burns JAZZ Collection
The Essential Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan & Clifford Brown

I LOVE all those CDs. But my all-time favorite, the one that's in the CD player the most is by far this one. Sassy is unique and this CD does a great job representing her.

12 Songs 36:25 total time~Hip-O/Verve Records 24.Bit Remastering. Enjoy!

Sarah Vaughn sang beautifully and she remains one of the very greatest songbirds ever. Her ability to deliver a tune with a jazzy or soulful style impresses me greatly; and this is a fine album for her fans even though it is a bit brief at roughly 36 minutes long. However, everything we do get on this CD is top-notch quality; Sarah's sophisticated phrasing combined with her timing and her excellent diction made her singing very, very special. In addition, the quality of the sound on this CD is excellent and the artwork is nicely done even though it is rather standard for this CD series.

All the songs and ballads on this album are excellent. "Someone to Watch over Me" has Sarah squarely in the spotlight; and her voice is just beautiful to hear. The strings are used very well in the accompanying musical arrangement and "Someone to Watch over Me" is a terrific number to start off this CD. "I've Got a Crush on You" again features Sarah in her natural element; she could sell songs like this without even trying--and that's quite a feat! I love it. In addition, Sarah aces "Day by Day;" her delivery of "Day by Day" is flawless and the arrangement is very memorable, to say the least.

"Misty" shines brighter than silver and gold combined in Sarah Vaughn's capable hands; Sarah makes this ballad all her own with her exquisite performance that leaves me wanting to replay this tune on my CD player over and over again! This music is all THAT good. "Honey" is very well done; and I also enjoy Sarah's treatment of "A Foggy Day." "A Foggy Day" just couldn't be better and that's grand. "Days of Wine and Roses" gets the royal treatment from Sarah who sings this to perfection--and beyond! Moreover, "Hey There" sounds fresh and new when I hear Sarah's rendition of it; and while the Sevend Saaby Choir sounds great Sarah never really needed backup. She could easily have carried this all on her own.

"It Could Happen To You" features a most passionate Sarah who never skips a beat; and this is yet another number that uses the strings section very well. "Please Be Kind" is elegant; Sarah does this faultlessly and I'm amazed at her natural and exquisite talent which is so clearly displayed on numbers like this one. "Broken Hearted Melody" was a hit for Sarah; and just one listen will tell you why! Bull Moose Jackson also performs on "Broken Hearted Melody." It sounds terrific even in our times. The CD closes with Sarah Vaughn performing "Love." "Love" is sublime when Sarah Vaughn sings it; and I would like to think that other recording artists were thrilled with her treatment of this classic number!

Sarah Vaughn lives on through her music; and this is a must-have for her fans if they don't have these recordings already. It's a great starter CD for anyone just discovering Sarah Vaughn; and it's also a good choice for anyone who enjoys classic pop and jazz vocals.

I had some albums of Sarah Vaughan when I was a young girl. Her talent is timeless. I loved every song on the CD.

I am a Sarah Vaughn fan and found the CD to be an excllent choice. My purchase experience with Amazon was typically excellent.

In some of the recordings the singer's voice is overwhelmed with the orchestra. However, most of the songs sound OK.

I have listened to Sarh Vaughan since the sixties when she had a hit single with "Broken Hearted Melody". Some of her singing was to "soul like" for my taste. However, after listening to the "samples" on the the Amazon Product page, I was sold. Her voice was smooth, her phrasing crisp, and the arrangements on these tracks were excellent. Her renditions of "Day by Day" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" were "lush" and in the best tradition of "torch songs". All of the selections are the best I've ever heard by her. That's why the CD was titled "The Best of Sarah Vaughan". If you like great orchestration, great string arrangements and the silky soft voice of a female torch singer, you'll love this album. When listening to this CD, I can close my eyes & imagine me back in my late teens & early twenties with that "hot" date listening to this music on a late night drive. A brief escape from the reality of old age.

If you want to hear Sarah in all of her splendor then your wait is over. This particular compilation is sweetly and thoughtfully arranged. It offers us Sarah at her best. Just kick back, put your feet up on the coffee table, close your eyes and listen and wonder at the great wonder that is Sarah Vaughan. Buy this CD and please, please continue to ask the music industry to keep re-releasing and re-mastering the masters of music.

A wonderful collection of Sarah Vaughan. I recommend it to anyone who wants a fantastic voice and wonderful music.