Customer Reviews

How Long Has This Been Going On?

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a log-time fan of Sarah Vaughan, and I firmly believe that some of her best recordings are the ones she made later in her life- you know, the ones where her voice sounded wonderfully throaty. I never tire of her singing, "Your lips were like a red-and-ruby chalice" on Midnight Sun. An added benefit of this album are the other musicians, namely guitarist Joe Pass. Perhaps the highest compliment I can give this album is that I own it on VINYL and listen to it regularly.

This cd should go on forever! Here's another Sarah Vaughan courtesy of Pablo Records. This one was a long overdo comeback album. I remember seeing Sarah in concert when the lp was 1st released. Track 1, I've Got The World On A String, was the 1st song I heard her sing live. I don't know which version was better, live or recorded. Of course, here we have Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Louis Bellson, & Ray Brown. No jazz singer could do better for instrumental back up. Live, I heard her own trio on percusion & then husband on horn. Still, not shabby. If one loves jazz singing this is it. To me her voice sounds richer on the cd than the lp. So, don't be satisfied with the latter. She wisely choosed Midnight Sun, You're Blase, Easy Living, My Old Flame, & Body & Soul. These are the jazz jems that pop singers strayed away from but jazz singers relished in performing. Our Sarah probably surpassed her contemporaries on all the versions. Only Jo Stafford rivaled, maybe surpassed, Sarah on My Old Flame, I've Got The World On String & Midnight Sun. Still, can't we have 2 definitive versions? It's amazing how Sarah could disect the lyric & melody in such wide ranging manner. Her range wasn't operatic but it appeared to combine the best of jazz & opera. Or, at least, jazz & good pop singing.

This CD is very impressive. The musicianship of the musicians is astounding. As Sarah ages, her tone becomes richer and her interpretation of lyrics improves. For example, her rendition of Midnight Sun is far better than what she did with the Roulette label in the 1960s. This CD is a must buy for music lovers especially those who love good vocals.

This album is so relaxed and spontaneously made, it makes the listener feel as though they're at a live jam session. Free from the constraints of a "pop record" of an intruding orchestra, Sassy's voice is given room to breathe and improvise--her greatest gift. She's backed by a star group of sidemen---Peterson on piano and Bellson/Pass to boot, what more could we ask for? All the songs are sung in mid-tempo with a sense of swing. It shows even at the age of 54, Sarah still had "IT"! On "I've Got the World on a String" and "Easy Living" she simply takes the listener on a joy ride with the swing, groove and estacsy of a finely-constructed instrument that is her voice.

If you want to hear Sarah at her very best, and if you love Oscar Peterson, this is what you want to hear. The title track is about the happiest and lovliest song you could ever hear and the interplay of voice and piano throughout is magnificent. Smoky, passionate, rich, lyical at times and spare at others. Contrast this with the interesting but less successful Ella/Oscar collaboration. Couldn't recommend a jazz record more highly.

Mellow and mature, confident and professional, Sarah hired an all star cast, to deliver all star classics. This is a fabulous record and one you will love."World on a string"," Body and soul","My old flame". What a recording. It rarely gets better than this, enjoy.

Sarah Vaughan's Pablo recordings, made towards the end of her career are, compared to recorded music generally, all five star albums. However, this one is not her best.

The title song is good enough, with the supporting players, including the great drummer Louie Belleson, all pitching in well.

However, the rest of the music is just typical Sarah, and there is no great zing to it. The recording is top-notch, as are most of the Pablo albums.

Try Crazy and Mixed Up before you buy this one -- although a short 32 minutes, each and every song on Crazy is a gem. Joe Pass is insurmountable, and Sarah sounds better than she did on any album I've heard since the Emarcy recording of Sarah with Clifford Brown.

Also, you might like Copacobana, which is Sarah putting her touch on Brazilian songs. Beware, however, the recording is hissy (although it kind of fits with the songs).

Sarah's vocals are excellent, and like few other vocalists in any genre, the quality of her voice improved as she got older. On this album she showcases her true vocal range, style and abilities..I would have loved to have seen her live..

"The interaction of Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown and Louie Bellson with Sarah is what great jazz is all about." ~ Norman Granz ~

Norman Granz, producer of this CD who had produced countless of remarkable jazz recordings for Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Anita O'Day, Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt and Lester Young, among many others, pretty sums up on the above quote what is to expect in this CD, Sarah Vaughan's "How Long Has This Been Going On." It is definitely "what great jazz is all about." The "Sassy Lady" teaming up with some of the greatest jazz giants of all-time is so overwhelmingly delightful! Of all her recordings, nothing beats this one - what with a support of the finest musicians and jazz legends you can ever think of? Sarah Vaughan with Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown and Louis Bellson at the center stage, you can't go wrong with this great album. It's one of the best jazz albums ever recorded - a must-have to all jazz aficionados. I love everything about this album!

With this album, Sarah Vaughan brings a wealth of experience in the genre of jazz. It is a blend of Ms. Vaughan's extraordinary vocal style and the splendid instrumental chops of Oscar Peterson on piano, Joe Pass on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Louie Bellson on drums. And with her exceptional renditions of these time-tested standards, Sarah Vaughan creates an elegant and classy musical ambience that ultimately proves her fine-tuned vocal ingenuity.

Being an avid music listener, I find it easy to love this CD that promises a delightful listening experience with its ten par excellence performances of the "Sassy Lady." No matter what song she sings, she brings sincerity, love and dedication that shine all throughout from the first track to the last one. Her interpretations will surely evoke moving emotions. Her sparkling vocal artistry is the perfect compliment to the top-notch instrumentations of Peterson, Pass, Brown and Bellson.

She is is full of spirit and grooves as she sings "I've Got The World On A String" and "Teach Me Tonight" while she remains so emotionally-charged in her stirring renditions of "More Than You Know," "Body And Soul," "Midnight Sun" and the title track as well. No other singer could have sung it with more poignancy and genuine emotion than the "Sassy Lady" herself.

Joe Pass' incredible virtuosity in guitar can be best heard in "My Old Flame." You'll love the guitar sound that is very articulate and so powerful.

This is Sarah Vaughan's finest work and certainly a great addition to your vocal jazz collection.

With my heartfelt recommendation for your listening pleasure now and forever.

This is an excellent, hard-to-find, jazz album. Sarah Vaughan's voice only improved with age. Oscar Peterson's magnificent piano makes the perfect accompaniment. I could listen to it over and over again.