Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

George Gershwin (Tribute), Sarah Vaughan

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 29, 1998)
• Original Release Date: 1957
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B00000AFEZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,612 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This lavish reissue of Vaughan's 1957 double LP displays a Gershwin different in tone from Ella Fitzgerald's better-known one. Naturally more elastic in her interpretations than Fitzgerald, Vaughan also manages a more intimate tone perhaps better suited for the later hours of late-night listening. Hal Mooney's arrangements wisely alternate between full-blown orchestral backing and a more rhythmic emphasis, as on "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise," which would have fit right in with the singer's string of pop hit singles. Most impressive, though, are Vaughan's intuitively touching readings of ballads like "I've Got a Crush on You," "The Man I Love," and "A Foggy Day": no matter how many recordings of them exist, these must stand near the top of the stack. The original album is augmented here by 13 incomplete takes from one of the sessions. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Divinely Sarah, By George, June 17, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

"I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise" almost was a single and, in fact, disc jockeys got singles of it for radio play. Sarah performed it live memorably on the old Arthur Murray Dance Party T.V. show. This divine album remains totally wonderful, along with its famous cover, and what's even more wonderful is Sarah came into the studio unrehearsed and didn't even know many of the songs. She really created the album on the spot. It all has a wonderful feel to it, aided by Hal Mooney's evocative arrangements and Mercury's loving engineering. A gem forever.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SIMPLY SASSY AT HER BEST, November 2, 2000

By	ALAIN ROBERT (ST-HUBERT,QUEBEC) - See all my reviews

This is the record i would bring with me on a desert island.I have a lot of admiration for ELLA ,but on GERSHWIN SARAH should be your first choice, because she always loved that music ever since her childwood days and it shows.So many versions here seems to be the perfect ones that itshould prevent you from buying the usual collective collection.With SARAH, the many takesof a song can be rewarding, with others it is often unnecessary.Only deaf people can resist SARAH VAUGHAN singing SUMMERTIME,SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME and THE MAN I LOVE,but you are not deaf right?

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brief review of Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin, October 5, 2005

By	EJM722 (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

In my opinion, Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin is the standard against which all cd reissues should be measured. Everything about this set is superb. Sound quality, packaging, musicianship, are all fantastic. Remastering of these songs is stunning. Perhaps some of the extra tracks aren't necessary, but don't let that deter you from purchasing this set. It's worth every penny.

Sarah is heard in fine voice here, with wonderful versions of "The Man I Love", "Lorelei", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Someone To Watch Over Me", and "Summertime". In fact, there are no weak tracks here. The latter song is unquestionably the definitive version of this much-covered chestnut. The orchestral arrangements enhance the emotion in the songs, and Sarah is Sarah, and not Ella, largely due to her emotion.

The highlight of this album is "My Man's Gone Now". I believe Sarah's performance on this work may be the greatest vocal in the history of recorded music. The backing on this track is appropriately traumatic, and reiterates the pain in Sarah's vocal. Truly thrilling. If you can listen to this track without being moved, you're dead inside (just so you know).

Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin is essential for any music collection.