Customer Reviews

Crazy & Mixed Up

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Though Sarah Vaughan had many pop hits and recorded a number of songs from the Great American Songbook, she is, at heart, a jazz singer, and this is her jazziest, and, I think, best album. Choosing musicians Roland Hanna on piano, Joe Pass on guitar, Harold Jones on drums, and Andy Simpkins on bass as her backup, Sarah produced this album herself in 1982, when her control and musicianship were at their peak, her voice had taken on some of its deeper tones, and her range was enormous. These eight songs, some of them new, are among the best and most unusual tracks she ever recorded, reflecting a variety of moods and a daring in interpretation that comes from having to answer to no one in this recording.

"Autumn Leaves" is so "out there," with Joe Pass on guitar and Andy Simkins on bass and Vaughan singing scat, that it is difficult even to recognize Johnny Mercer's basic melody, and with Vaughan taking full advantage of her range and power, the song loses any sense of the saccharine sweetness so common to other recordings of it. In the David Rose song "The Island," previously unfamiliar to me, Vaughan sings very slowly with a "la-la" scat and minor tones, creating a haunting song of great mystery, full of key changes and switches from major to minor and back, until by the end she is full of passion and wailing. The "prettiest" song on the CD is "Seasons," composed by pianist Roland Hanna for Vaughan, a moody, romantic song with lush piano interpretations and long piano solo, and Vaughan singing "pure" as she thinks about family, nature, and winter, while awaiting "summer's embrace."

Ranging from ballad to swing to full-out jazz, Vaughan is at her best here, choosing every song herself and surrounding herself with musicians with whom she is comfortable and who share her interpretations. Every track here is a knockout, from the intimacy of "Love Dance" through "In Love in Vain" and "You Are Too Beautiful," for which Vaughan gives an interpretation that Rodgers and Hart would never have imagined. Of all Vaughan's albums, this is the one on which she is most truly herself--the best Vaughan album I've ever heard. Mary Whipple

Every track on this CD is spectacular. This Vaughan-produced recording may be the greatest vocal jazz album ever. The wordless Autumn Leaves, In Love and Vain , That's All and I Didn't Know What Time it Was swing so hard they hurt. However, the ballads on this date will heal all wounds.

The Island is perhaps the most erotic ballad ever sung and it joins Love Dance as a newly emerging jazz standard.

Andy Simpkins, Sir Roland Hanna, Joe Pass and Grady Tate are a terrific rhythm section who keep up valiantly with the Divine One.

You will cherish this CD for a lifetime!

If I was showing a Martian around Planet Earth and I wanted to show him something of which Man can be truly proud, I would sit him down and put this record on. Then I would bore him to death putting on more Sarah Vaughan and then some more...

To me Sarah Vaughan is the last word in vocals. Her technique is breathtaking but I also feel her humanity through her singing in a way which touches me like no other singer.

If you don't own one of her records, do yourself a favor and add this to the Shopping Cart ( plus a live album ).

A great 8 song set which proves quanity doesn't equal quality. Producer Sarah Vaughan let THE SASSILY DIVINE ONE do her own thing but on a limited budget. I've never heard Sarah be more creative. Vaughan opened with a Rodgers & Hart song, I Didn't Know What Time It Is, & closed with another from R&H, You Are Too Beautiful. The 1st outshines Ella's versions which is quite pristine. Sarah sweetly swung along in her version which is what Jazz should do. In the closer, she more than makes up for other singers' neglect of it. I'm totally shocked that Streisand didn't record Beautiful in her early career. That's All is quite different from the Ricky Nelson or Bernda Lee versions. Sassy really swung this one bringing out nuances that Ricky Or Brenda didn't know existed. Autumn Leaves is so improvisational. Here Sarah only scatted. You won't recognize it. Love Dance was a new intelligent love song which had been such a rarity for over 20 years now. She milked the lyric & melody for everything. Island started with her lilting humming & then she sang so vibrantly. 1st so slowly & then swingingly, finally reaching a Gormesqe high note! Seasons takes us rough the year so episodically, the natural & cultural cycles of life. In Love In Vain is back to the upbeat & You are Too Beautiful is soft & alluring. In opposing tempos, Sass birngs out very note & nuance. Music critic Gunther Schuller called Sarah Vaughan, America's best singer. He was right!

Among the immortal old-time jazz chanteusses (Ella, Carmen, Lady Day, Betty, Anita, Dinah, June, Jo, Nina and Sassy), many have argued that Sarah Vaughan was the best pure singer of them all, and the only one who could have been retrained to sing opera.

I agree with that consensus, and I mark this album as Exhibit "A" for that proposition.

Let's take "Seasons", my personal favorite cut on this album. Listening to this fabulous jazz ballad reminds me of watching "Citizen Kane." If you recall, Welles filmed that classic such that every shot--whether close-up or far away--was in perfect focus. And that describes Sarah Vaughan's voice as well. No matter where she is in her register, every note is as equally clear. If she's at the low end, she deepens; if she's at the high end, she covers while singing brightly; and she never scoops and never reaches. Every note--and I mean every note--is simply beautiful. Listen to "Seasons" and you'll hear what I mean. You'll hear that throughout, but this is the cut that really gets to me.

And listen to "The Island" as an example of perfect control. She does a perfect slow crescendo and a perfect slow dimuendo here, which is possible only with perfect breath control. Very few singers can pull off what Sassy pulls off here--and as a result, she turns this into one of the most exciting renditions of a love song ever.

None of this is to suggest that Ms. Vaughan is anything other than a jazz singer, however. Listen to how she swings "That's All" and scats "Autumn Leaves". Carmen and Ella never did it better than this--and that's saying one hell of a lot.

This was Ms. Vaughan's album--she produced it, and I assume, was granted the artistic freedom by Pablo (whose sound, BTW, is sensational) to pick her supporting artists. What artists! At guitar, they don't come better than Joe Pass, and check out his dizzying solo on "Leaves." On piano, the redoubtable (Sir) Roland Hanna knocks out outstanding work on "That's All" and "Seasons", and is every bit up to his reputation. The rhythm section players (Andy Simpkins--bass and Harold Jones--drums) do everything that you'd want a rhythm section grounding three giants like this to do.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this album, recorded in 1982, was that Sarah Vaughan had been in the business for over 40 years when it was recorded. Not only does she sound in her prime, but it's difficult to imagine her prime being better than this.

This is one of the finest vocal jazz albums out there. I'm probably telling this to people who know that already. I didn't until recently, and I'm so grateful to the friend who turned me on to this. RC

Here's another great CD, by the late-great Sarah Vaughan. I really prefer instrumental jazz over vocal jazz. Sarah Vaughan's music is just too good to pass up. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is an excellent song. The musical arrangement on this song was something I could REALLY appreciate. You would have thought I was a music appreciation teacher(for those who have taken that class in college). "Autumn Leaves" is an excellent swing piece and Sarah's scatting is unparalleled. "That's All" makes you want to snuggle up to that special somebody and dim the lights. Overall, this CD just has a warm feel to it. Sarah did most of the work on this project and the finished product is an inspiring, warm, personal masterpiece. I mean, if you want to pretend you're at a jazz club, pop this CD in and enjoy. Excellent collection of music.

I am in love with this album. My first introduction to Sarah Vaughan was through her "songbooks" (Gerswhin, Porter). I loved the lush orchestral backgrounds, but also longed for more informal and/or "jazzy" settings. This album provides just this. Sarah has a small collection of musicians, so you really get to hear and appreciate her unmatched voice and technique. This album is tingling; it is sensational. Sarah scats, delivers ballads, and proves why she is both "sassy" and "divine." Buy it!!!

I reserve the 5 star rating for only the truly remarkable collections of songs, yet this one deserves it without hesitation. Not only is Miss Vaughan's voice in superb form throughout, but her accompanist in Roland Hanna is exquisite. For example, on the song, "Seasons," I have a hard time thinking of a piano 'solo' that is more breathtakingly beautiful or simple. Mr. Hanna can often be heard in an effort to transcend physical planes with his music, in this instance he does that, and in the space of less than a couple minutes. That's some kind of magic. My life has been better for hearing this remarkable recording, and it's not often I can say that.

This album was actually produced by Sarah herself. She chose the songs, etc. She was very proud of this album, I heard her mention that in live performances. The Island is magnificent and so is her take on I didn't know what time it was.

If you're a serious fan of Ms. Vaughan, this one you must own.

I can't begin to state how I feel for Sarah Vaughan. I always knew the name, but never really searched to hear the voice of the divine one, lady sass. To me and my family, Sarah is the first and last word in singing. I've listened to Ella, Billy, Carmen, etc before I actually heard Sarah. There is no dispute, Sarah moves me with every song she touches, the vibrato, contralto, the control that those previously mentioned greats could only dream of. I would have to write a novel to express what I feel for Sarah let alone this album. You listen to her then you listen to those other singers, see who moves you the most! You will love this lady and this album for sure!