Sarah Vaughan - The Diva Series

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:16
Size: 117,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:37) 1. How High The Moon
(5:15) 2. Cheek To Cheek
(2:59) 3. Misty
(2:34) 4. Old Devil Moon
(2:47) 5. Shake Down The Stars
(3:40) 6. A Sinner Kissed An Angel
(2:26) 7. It's Got To Be Love
(2:32) 8. Just One Of Those Things
(2:34) 9. I'll Never Smile Again
(2:40) 10. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(2:07) 11. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(4:33) 12. Words Can't Describe
(3:26) 13. Shiny Stockings
(2:21) 14. I Want To Be Happy
(3:11) 15. Tenderly
(4:26) 16. Every Day I Have The Blues

Possessor of one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century, Sarah Vaughan ranked with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday in the very top echelon of female jazz singers. She often gave the impression that with her wide range, perfectly controlled vibrato, and wide expressive abilities, she could do anything she wanted with her voice. Although not all of her many recordings are essential (give Vaughan a weak song and she might strangle it to death), Sarah Vaughan's legacy as a performer and a recording artist will be very difficult to match in the future.

Vaughan sang in church as a child and had extensive piano lessons from 1931-39; she developed into a capable keyboardist. After she won an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater, she was hired for the Earl Hines big band as a singer and second vocalist. Unfortunately, the musicians' recording strike kept her off record during this period (1943-44). When lifelong friend Billy Eckstine broke away to form his own orchestra, Vaughan joined him, making her recording debut. She loved being with Eckstine's orchestra, where she became influenced by a couple of his sidemen, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, both of whom had also been with Hines during her stint. Vaughan was one of the first singers to fully incorporate bop phrasing in her singing, and to have the vocal chops to pull it off on the level of a Parker and Gillespie.

Other than a few months with John Kirby from 1945-46, Sarah Vaughan spent the remainder of her career as a solo star. Although she looked a bit awkward in 1945 (her first husband George Treadwell would greatly assist her with her appearance), there was no denying her incredible voice. She made several early sessions for Continental: a December 31, 1944 date highlighted by her vocal version of "A Night in Tunisia," which was called "Interlude," and a May 25, 1945 session for that label that had Gillespie and Parker as sidemen. However, it was her 1946-48 selections for Musicraft (which included "If You Could See Me Now," "Tenderly" and "It's Magic") that found her rapidly gaining maturity and adding bop-oriented phrasing to popular songs. Signed to Columbia where she recorded during 1949-53, "Sassy" continued to build on her popularity. Although some of those sessions were quite commercial, eight classic selections cut with Jimmy Jones' band during May 18-19, 1950 (an octet including Miles Davis) showed that she could sing jazz with the best.

During the 1950s, Vaughan recorded middle-of-the-road pop material with orchestras for Mercury, and jazz dates (including Sarah Vaughan, a memorable collaboration with Clifford Brown) for the label's subsidiary, EmArcy. Later record label associations included Roulette (1960-64), back with Mercury (1963-67), and after a surprising four years off records, Mainstream (1971-74). Through the years, Vaughan's voice deepened a bit, but never lost its power, flexibility or range. She was a masterful scat singer and was able to out-swing nearly everyone (except for Ella).
Vaughan was with Norman Granz's Pablo label from 1977-82, and only during her last few years did her recording career falter a bit, with only two forgettable efforts after 1982. However, up until near the end, Vaughan remained a world traveler, singing and partying into all hours of the night with her miraculous voice staying in prime form. The majority of her recordings are currently available, including complete sets of the Mercury/Emarcy years, and Sarah Vaughan is as famous today as she was during her most active years.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sarah-vaughan-mn0000204901/biography

The Diva Series

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Sarah Vaughan - Songs with the Joe Lippman Orchestra

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:08
Size: 85,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:18) 1. Black Coffee
(3:31) 2. That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)
(3:09) 3. Bianca
(3:20) 4. The Nearness Of You
(3:16) 5. Summertime
(2:35) 6. As You Desire Me
(3:00) 7. I’m Crazy To Love You
(3:01) 8. Just Friends
(2:41) 9. Make Believe (You Are Glad When You're Sorry)
(3:11) 10. You’re Mine, You
(2:42) 11. Give Me A Song With A Beautiful Melody
(3:18) 12. You Taught Me To Love Again

In the 1940s, when most women singers adorned big bands as stage attractions rather than legitimate members of jazz ensembles, Sarah Vaughan, along with her predecessor Ella Fitzgerald, helped elevate the vocalist's role as equal to that of the jazz instrumentalist. A woman known for her many vicissitudes, Vaughan's outspoken personality and artistic eloquence brought her the names "Sassy" and "The Divine One.” A talented pianist, she joined the ranks of the 1940s bebop movement and became, as a member of the Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine bands, one of its most celebrated vocalists. Her dynamic vocal range, sophisticated harmonic sense, and horn-like phrasing brought Vaughan million-selling numbers and a stage and recording career that spanned half a decade.

Sarah Lois Vaughan was born the daughter of Asbury and Ada Vaughan on March 27, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey. As a youth Vaughan took piano lessons and attended the Mount Zion Baptist Church, where she served as a church keyboardist. At home Vaughan played the family's upright piano and listened to the recordings of jazz artists Count Basie and Erskine Hawkins. After discovering Newark's numerous theaters and movie houses, she skipped school and left home at night to watch dances and stage shows. By age 15, she performed at local clubs, playing piano and singing.

Not long after, Vaughan took the train across the river to Harlem to frequent the Savoy Ballroom and the Apollo Theatre. One evening, in 1943, she sat in at the Apollo amateur show, a fiercely competitive contest that often exposed lesser talents to the harsh criticism of the theater's audience. Vaughan's moving performance of "Body and Soul" not only brought a fever of applause from the crowd, it also caught the attention of singer Billy Eckstine. Eckstine informed his bandleader Earl "Fatha" Hines about the young singer. Hines then allowed Vaughan to attend the band's uptown band rehearsal. At the rehearsal, Vaughan's singing won immediate praise from Hines and his musicians. One of the premiere modern big bands of the era, Hines's ensemble included such talents as trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro, saxophonist Charlie Parker, and trombonist J. J. Johnson. As the only female bandmember, Vaughan shared the vocal spotlight with Eckstine and played piano, often in duet settings with Hines. Vaughan debuted at the Apollo with Hines's band on April 23, 1943.

Not long after, most of Hines's modernist sidemen, including Gillespie, Parker, and Eckstine, gradually left the band. Vaughan remained briefly with Hines's band until she accepted an invitation to join Eckstine's newly-formed bebop big band in 1944. In December of that year, she cut her first side "I'll Wait and Pray," backed by the Eckstine band, which included Dizzy Gillespie, saxophonists Dexter Gordon and Gene Ammons, and pianist John Malachi.

Through the intercession of jazz writer and pianist Leonard Feather, Vaughan recorded her first date as a leader for the small Continental label. Under the production of Feather, Vaughan and Her All-Stars attended their session on New Year's Eve 1944. Acting as the session's producer and pianist, Feather assembled such sidemen as Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Georgie Auld to cut four sides: "Signing Off," Feather's "No Smoke Blues," Gillespie's "Interlude" (a vocal version of "Night in Tunisia"), and "East of the Sun," on which Gillespie replaced Feather on keyboard.On a second session, Feather relinquished the piano duties to Nat Jaffe, and brought together Gillespie and Charlie Parker.
.....More https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/sarah-vaughan/

Songs with the Joe Lippman Orchestra

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Sarah Vaughan, Michel Legrand - Sarah Vaughan with Michel Legrand

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1973
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 38:54
Size: 62,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:02) 1. The Summer Knows
(3:55) 2. What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?
(3:13) 3. Once You've Been In Love
(3:06) 4. Hands Of Time (Brian's Song)
(3:06) 5. I Was Born In Love With You
(2:10) 6. I Will Say Goodbye
(2:47) 7. Summer Me, Winter Me
(3:21) 8. His Eyes, Her Eyes
(3:07) 9. Pieces Of Dreams
(4:13) 10. Blue, Green, Grey And Gone
(3:30) 11. Wave
(3:18) 12. Deep In The Night

A meeting that worked better than anyone might expect. Vaughan was still her dynamic, charismatic vocal self, while Legrand didn't obscure or dilute her singing, and also effectively supported her in his own way.~Ron Wynnhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/with-michel-legrand-mw0000271518

Personnel: Sarah Vaughan - vocals; Pete Christlieb, Bob Cooper, Bernard Fleischer, Bill Hood, Jerome Richardson, Bud Shank - flute, reeds (multiple); Vincent DeRosa, Bill Hinshaw, Sinclair Lott, Dick Macker, Arthur Maebe, Richard Perissi, George Price, Ralph Pyle - French horn; Bobby Knight, Charles Loper, Grover Mitchell, George Roberts, Frank Rosolino, Lloyd Ulyate - trombone; Al Aarons, Gary Barone, Conte Candoli, Buddy Childers, Chuck Findley - trumpet; Tommy Johnson - tuba; Dave Grusin, Arthur Kane, Mike Wofford - keyboards; Larry Bunker - percussion; Tommy Tedesco - guitar; Chuck Rainey - bass guitar; Chuck Berghofer, Ray Brown, Bob Magnusson - double bass; John Guerin, Shelly Manne - drums; Michel Legrand - arranger, conductor, piano.

Sarah Vaughan with Michel Legrand

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Sarah Vaughan - In The City Of Lights (Disc 1), (Disc 2)

Album: In The City Of Lights (Disc 1)
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:42
Size: 126,0 MB
Art: Front

(8:23) 1. Hi-Fly
(2:36) 2. Summetime
(2:31) 3. Just Friends
(8:22) 4. Wave
(1:58) 5. On A Clear Day
(6:22) 6. If You Could See Me Now
(3:30) 7. I've Got The World On A String
(3:35) 8. Fascinatin' Rhythm
(9:40) 9. But Not For Me/Our Love Is Here To Stay/Embraceable You/Someon
(1:32) 10. There Will Never Be Another You
(6:08) 11. Misty

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Album: In The City Of Lights (Disc 2)
Time: 36:39
Size: 84,4 MB

(8:31) 1. My Funny Valentine
(3:33) 2. From This Moment On
(6:13) 3. Send In The Clowns
(4:15) 4. Sassy's Blues
(3:49) 5. Tenderly
(6:06) 6. Scat Chase (Sassy's Blues)
(4:09) 7. Once In A While

Probably more than any of her contemporaries with whom she is most often compared, Sarah Vaughan's voice not only survived the vicissitudes of years of performing, but matured remarkably well. Her performance at this concert assured all that she could still go from bluesy growls through crystal clarity to sounding cute at the higher range. The Paris concert turned out to be a love fest between Vaughan and her audience. Starting off with a lengthy warmup by the trio, featuring Frank Collett's piano on "Hi-Fly," Vaughan makes a dramatic entrance singing "Summertime" a capella, establishing the vocal framework for the remainder of the concert. Vaughan is fully aware that her voice and persona are special. She is not all reluctant to use them to milk that last droplet of applause from the audience.

All of the songs on the playbill are from Vaughan's standard repertoire. There's nothing here she hasn't done before and they are as comfortable as a favorite pair of slippers. Her poignant renditions of "Send in the Clowns" and an upbeat "Just Friends," continue to be gems in the hands of Ms Vaughan. One of the highlights of the concert is a medley of favorite Gershwin tunes, "But Not for Me," "Our Love Is Here to Stay," "Embraceable You" and "Someone to Watch Over Me." The 2,500 plus people who attended the Chetelet concert that evening would not let Vaughan leave the stage. There was encore after encore, all of which are included on this 2-CD album, released by Justin-Time Records who are due significant kudos for releasing this previously unavailable Sarah Vaughan concert.~Dave Nathan https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-city-of-lights-mw0000605424

Personnel: Sarah Vaughan - vocals; Frank Collett - piano; Bob Maize - double bass; Harold Jones - drums

In The City Of Lights (Disc 1),(Disc 2)

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Sarah Vaughan - Live In Tokyo Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Live In Tokyo, Japan Disc 1
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:39
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front

(1:50) 1. A Foggy Day
(5:26) 2. Poor Butterfly
(1:46) 3. The Lamp Is Low
(5:40) 4. 'Round Midnight
(4:35) 5. Willow Weep For Me
(1:37) 6. There Will Never Be Another You
(3:23) 7. Misty
(7:20) 8. Wave
(2:38) 9. Like Someone In Love
(5:56) 10. My Funny Valentine
(2:21) 11. All Of Me
(5:12) 12. Love Story
(7:23) 13. Over The Rainbow
(2:26) 14. I Could Write A Book

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Album: Live In Tokyo, Japan Disc 2
Time: 56:22
Size: 129,3 MB

(6:59) 1. The Nearness Of You
(3:32) 2. I'll Remember April
(3:04) 3. Watch What Happens
(1:33) 4. I Cried For You
(4:01) 5. Summertime
(7:31) 6. The Blues
(5:09) 7. I Remember You
(4:03) 8. There Is No Greater Love
(6:10) 9. Rainy Days And Mondays
(3:08) 10. On A Clear Day
(6:34) 11. Bye Bye Blackbird
(1:05) 12. Tonight
(3:28) 13. Tenderly

Sarah Vaughan ( vocals ) Carl Schroeder ( pno ) John Gianelli ( bass ) Jimmy Cobb ( drs )

Unlike many singers Sarah Vaughan’s voice did not deteriorate with age but became more burnished and she never lost her vocal range. Throughout her career she worked and recorded with all types of ensembles from trios through medium sized bands to large orchestras with and without strings. Some of her best work was with piano trios where she had more flexibility to improvise but she appeared to be relaxed with any size of group. Some of the material she was given to record was not of the highest quality but she rose above the dross “and her skill and vocal abilities made the most of it. These two CDs contain a complete concert recorded whilst she was on tour in Japan during 1973. Like many singers she had a more or less set programme for her live performances which usually contained many of her popular recordings.

As this was Sarah’s regular backing trio at the time she sounds very much at ease which contributes to a stellar performance which is obviously adds to the delight of the Japanese audience. The album opens with a fast paced “A Foggy Day” which sets the pace for a programme of Sarah Vaughan most popular repertoire, the programme fluctuates between up tempo numbers and Sarah‘s caressing of ballads. After a longish introduction to “Willow Weep For Me” for not having sung it for some time she proceeds to scat and talk her way through the song adding her own alternative lyrics which is great fun. Jobim’s “Wave” is given a classic performance with Sarah wringing out the full emotion in the lyrics and given sympathetic backing by the trio.

Sarah’s interpretation of “Over The Rainbow” is a lesson for any budding singer of how to approach a song which has had so much exposure and give it new life, simply breath taking. For the opening track on CD Two Sarah takes over the piano chair to accompany herself on “The Nearness Of You” and shows she has lost none of skills at the instrument. “Watch What Happens” fits Sarah like a glove and sounds like it was written sceptically for her and it’s one of the finest tracks on the album. Sarah tries her hand at a more contemporary song with Paul Williams’ “Rainy Days and Mondays” which works a treat and does not feel like she is uncomfortable with the material. She chooses just the right approach to “Tenderly” by not giving it an over emotional treatment like many singers often do. The album closes on just the right note with Michel Legrand’s “The Summer Knows” with a heart felt rendition. Next to attending a live concert by Sarah this is the next best thing and is highly recommended.~Roy Booth https://www.jazzviews.net/sarah-vaughan---live-in-tokyo.html

Live In Tokyo,Japan Disc 1, Disc 2

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Quincy Jones - Back On The Block

Styles: R&B, Crossover Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:55
Size: 134,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:04) 1. Prologue (Q's Rap)
(6:34) 2. Back On The Block
(5:11) 3. I Don't Go For That
(4:54) 4. I'll Be Good To You
(0:31) 5. The Verb To Be
(3:31) 6. Wee B. Dooinit
(6:28) 7. The Places You Find Love
(2:53) 8. Jazz Corner Of The World
(5:34) 9. Birdland
(5:04) 10. Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)
(3:44) 11. One Man Woman
(4:46) 12. Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)
(0:54) 13. Prelude To The Garden
(6:40) 14. The Secret Garden

Back on the Block is a 1989 studio album produced by Quincy Jones. The album features legendary musicians and singers from across three generations, including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Chaka Khan, Take 6, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, El DeBarge, Ray Charles and a 12-year-old Tevin Campbell.

Multiple singles were lifted from the album and found success on Pop and R&B radio, including "I'll Be Good to You", "I Don't Go for That", "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)", and "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)" which was originally an instrumental track on the Brothers Johnson's Look Out for #1 set. "Tomorrow" is also noteworthy for introducing a young Tevin Campbell to the music scene. Back on the Block won the 1991 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Jones' track, "Setembro (of brazilian composers Gilson Peranzzetta and Ivan Lins)" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1991 film, Boyz n the Hood. Back on the Block topped the R&B Albums chart at number-one for twelve weeks, and topped the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart as well.

Back on the Block featured the last studio recordings of jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Fitzgerald and Jones had previously worked together on her 1963 album with Count Basie, Ella and Basie!. Jones had produced three albums with Sarah Vaughan when they both worked for Mercury Records. At the 33rd Grammy Awards, Back on the Block won seven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

In arranging, Jerry Hey, Quincy Jones, Ian Prince and Rod Temperton won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for "Birdland", and Glen Ballard, Hey, Jones and Clif Magness won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) for "The Places You Find Love". Jones also won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance for "Birdland", and the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. Bruce Swedien won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for his work on the album. Ray Charles and Chaka Khan won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "I'll Be Good To You". The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group went to Big Daddy Kane, Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, Quincy Jones III and Jones for "Back on the Block".https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_on_the_Block

Personnel includes: Quincy Jones (vocals, keyboards, programming); Bobby McFerrin (vocals, bass, percussion); Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warrick, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Barry White, Take 6, Tevin Campell, James Ingram, El DeBarge, Al B. Sure! (vocals); Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel (rap vocals); James Moody, Gerald Albright (alto saxophone); Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis (trumpet); Herbie Hancock, George Duke (keyboards); George Benson, Steve Lukather, Paul Jackson, Jr., (guitar); Nathan East (bass); Harvey Mason (drums); Steve Porcaro, Josef Zawinul, Rod Temperton (programming); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion).

Back On The Block

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Sarah Vaughan - Live At The Berlin Philharmonie 1969 (Remastered)

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 83:46
Size: 77,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:48) 1. A Lot of Livin' to Do
(3:43) 2. And I Love Him
(5:38) 3. Alfie
(2:28) 4. On a Clear Day
(5:00) 5. Passing Strangers
(6:07) 6. Misty
(2:05) 7. I Cried For You
(6:00) 8. My Funny Valentine
(2:47) 9. All Of Me
(4:49) 10. Tenderly
(5:06) 11. Fly Me To The Moon
(4:08) 12. Time After Time
(2:33) 13. The Trolley Song
(5:10) 14. By the Time I Get to Phoenix
(3:51) 15. The Sweetest Sounds
(5:01) 16. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(2:37) 17. Day In, Day Out
(5:32) 18. What Now, My Love
(1:48) 19. I Had a Ball
(6:25) 20. Didn't We

This double disc release of Sarah Vaughan at the 1969 Berliner Jazztage combines two concerts from that day one previously televised and released on CD with another set of never before heard content on disc 2. At the end of the 1960s, Vaughan was without a record label, and while some say this is due to her falling out of favour as her voice darkened with age, others argue that it was the first time she was allowed to sing and do what she wanted. Vaughan toured a lot in these few years and played with her trio a setting which she much preferred to the big band pop stylings that were being pushed on her to record for Mercury and Roulette.

The thing about Sarah is that she not only had the musical knowledge and the harmonic understanding, but she also had the vocal technique to make her voice do pretty much anything she could imagine up in her creative mind. The more confident she became as an artist, the more we got to see this side of her. This concert at the Berlin Philharmonie is essentially the pinnacle of these elements coming together. She throws in crowd pleasing numbers like All of Me and Fly Me to the Moon, satisfies an audience request with My Funny Valentine and never forgets to include Tenderly. She’s never done it the same way twice and this is no exception.

On the Bacharach classic, Alfie, Vaughan dives into the deepest part of her range, filling every semibreve with her rich vibrato, creating phrases with so much emotional pull; from heartbreak to the warmest hug. The Sweetest Sounds has some funky hits and Vaughan’s sassy side comes to the forefront through the lyrics. Time After Time, usually done as a medium swing, is slowed right down and used as Vaughan’s playground of vocal delights, only accompanied by pianist Johnny Veith, and is met with whoops and hollers from the audience.

The trio, Veith on piano, Gus Mancuso on double bass and Eddy Pucci on drums are mostly just along for the ride on this day. They do a great job providing a blank canvas for Vaughan to paint her masterpieces. Veith’s stride-like stylings on ballads like Misty and Polkadots and Moonbeams fill the spaces and accompany her voice beautifully, and Mancuso and Pucci strap in for the up tempo numbers like I Cried for You, The Trolley Song and I Had a Ball that probably knocked even their socks off. Solos are not on the menu here but it’s not even noticeable; Vaughan’s artistry is more than enough. This album is a real treat, up there with Live at the Tivoli and Mr Kelly’s, and totally worth adding to the shelf. https://londonjazznews.com/2021/05/17/sarah-vaughan-live-at-the-berlin-philharmonie-1969/

Musicians: Sarah Vaughan, vocals; Johnny Veith, piano; Gus Mancuso, bass; Eddy Pucci, drums

Live At The Berlin Philharmonie 1969

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Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan Sings The Mancini Songbook

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:38
Size: 77.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals, Standards
Year: 1965/1998
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. How Soon
[2:38] 2. Days Of Wine And Roses
[2:53] 3. Dear Heart
[2:50] 4. Charade
[3:47] 5. Too Little Time
[3:49] 6. Dreamsville
[1:51] 7. Bye-Bye Theme From Peter Gunn
[2:50] 8. Moon River
[2:29] 9. (I Love You And) Don't You Forget It
[3:37] 10. Slow Hot Wind
[2:26] 11. Mr. Lucky
[1:44] 12. It Had Better Be Tonight

Sarah Vaughan's contribution to the female jazz vocal genre, during the twentieth century, puts her alongside the likes of Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald. As a child Sarah Vaughan sang in church and had extensive piano lessons from 1931-39, which helped her become a capable keyboardist. After she won an amateur contest at the Apollo Theatre, she was hired for the Earl Hines big band as a singer and second vocalist. Unfortunately, the musicians' recording strike kept her off record during this period (1943-44).

When lifelong friend Billy Eckstine broke away to form his own orchestra, Vaughan joined him, making her recording debut. She enjoyed her time with Eckstine's orchestra, where she became influenced by a couple of his sidemen, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, both of whom had also been with Hines during her stint. Vaughan was one of the first singers to fully incorporate bop phrasing in her singing, and to have the vocal chops to pull it off on the level of a Parker and Gillespie. During the 1950's, Sarah recorded middle-of-the-road pop material with orchestras for Mercury, and jazz dates (including a memorable collaboration with Clifford Brown) for the label's subsidiary, EmArcy.

Sarah Vaughan Sings The Mancini Songbook

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Sarah Vaughan - My Kinda Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1955/2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:11
Size: 81,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. Tenderly
(2:51)  2. If You Could See Me Now
(3:13)  3. Don't Blame Me
(2:51)  4. I'm Thru With Love
(2:56)  5. Body And Soul
(3:00)  6. I've Got A Crush On You
(3:08)  7. Once In A While
(2:52)  8. I Cover The Waterfront
(2:46)  9. The Man I Love
(2:56) 10. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(2:40) 11. My Kinda Love
(2:47) 12. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance

Possessor of one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century, Sarah Vaughan ranked with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday in the very top echelon of female jazz singers. She often gave the impression that with her wide range, perfectly controlled vibrato, and wide expressive abilities, she could do anything she wanted with her voice. Although not all of her many recordings are essential (give Vaughan a weak song and she might strangle it to death), Sarah Vaughan's legacy as a performer and a recording artist will be very difficult to match in the future. Vaughan sang in church as a child and had extensive piano lessons from 1931-39; she developed into a capable keyboardist. After she won an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater, she was hired for the Earl Hines big band as a singer and second vocalist. Unfortunately, the musicians' recording strike kept her off record during this period (1943-44). When lifelong friend Billy Eckstine broke away to form his own orchestra, Vaughan joined him, making her recording debut. She loved being with Eckstine's orchestra, where she became influenced by a couple of his sidemen, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, both of whom had also been with Hines during her stint. Vaughan was one of the first singers to fully incorporate bop phrasing in her singing, and to have the vocal chops to pull it off on the level of a Parker and Gillespie. Other than a few months with John Kirby from 1945-46, Sarah Vaughan spent the remainder of her career as a solo star. Although she looked a bit awkward in 1945 (her first husband George Treadwell would greatly assist her with her appearance), there was no denying her incredible voice. She made several early sessions for Continental: a December 31, 1944 date highlighted by her vocal version of "A Night in Tunisia," which was called "Interlude," and a May 25, 1945 session for that label that had Gillespie and Parker as sidemen. However, it was her 1946-48 selections for Musicraft (which included "If You Could See Me Now," "Tenderly" and "It's Magic") that found her rapidly gaining maturity and adding bop-oriented phrasing to popular songs. Signed to Columbia where she recorded during 1949-53, "Sassy" continued to build on her popularity. Although some of those sessions were quite commercial, eight classic selections cut with Jimmy Jones' band during May 18-19, 1950 (an octet including Miles Davis) showed that she could sing jazz with the best. During the 1950s, Vaughan recorded middle-of-the-road pop material with orchestras for Mercury, and jazz dates (including Sarah Vaughan, a memorable collaboration with Clifford Brown) for the label's subsidiary, EmArcy. Later record label associations included Roulette (1960-64), back with Mercury (1963-67), and after a surprising four years off records, Mainstream (1971-74). Through the years, Vaughan's voice deepened a bit, but never lost its power, flexibility or range. She was a masterful scat singer and was able to out-swing nearly everyone (except for Ella). Vaughan was with Norman Granz's Pablo label from 1977-82, and only during her last few years did her recording career falter a bit, with only two forgettable efforts after 1982. However, up until near the end, Vaughan remained a world traveler, singing and partying into all hours of the night with her miraculous voice staying in prime form. The majority of her recordings are currently available, including complete sets of the Mercury/Emarcy years, and Sarah Vaughan is as famous today as she was during her most active years. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sarah-vaughan-mn0000204901/biography

My Kinda Love

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Sarah Vaughan - Sassy Swings Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:03
Size: 71.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1967/2006
Art: Front

[1:48] 1. Sweet Georgia Brown
[2:40] 2. Take The A Train
[4:06] 3. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
[3:08] 4. S'posin
[4:22] 5. Everyday I Have The Blues
[2:19] 6. I Want To Be Happy
[2:21] 7. All Alone
[4:26] 8. The Sweetest Sounds
[3:34] 9. On The Other Side Of The Tracks
[2:17] 10. I Had A Ball

Vaughan ended her longstanding and career-defining tenure at Mercury with this fine set from 1967. Entering her autumnal prime, Vaughan effortlessly ignites such chestnuts as "Take the 'A' Train" (one of the best interpretations of the Billy Strayhorn classic), "I Want to Be Happy," and "Sweet Georgia Brown." She also dips into some rarely heard gems like Richard Rodgers' "The Sweetest Sounds" and Cy Coleman's "On the Other Side of the Tracks." Uncharacteristically, Vaughan also digs into the B.B. King favorite "Everyday I Have the Blues," which, while impressively delivered, demonstrates why her forte was not the dirty lowdown side of the musical coin. Vaughan, however, does shine on a blues-tinged version of Irving Berlin's swinger "All Alone," showing she certainly could convey a dusky mood in the right setting. As usual, Vaughan rides in style throughout, compliments of some fine arrangements by Thad Jones, J.J. Johnson, Manny Albam, and a young Bob James. And with the likes of Clark Terry, Joe Newman, Freddie Hubbard, Kai Winding, Phil Woods, and Benny Golson sitting in, the backing band here is equally impressive. An often overlooked but essential session from that most divine of jazz chanteuses. ~Stephen Cook

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Various - A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story (2 parts)

The litany of names that drummer Roy Haynes has worked with in his half-century long career reads like a history of modern jazz, and includes such undeniable luminaries as Lester Young, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Stan Getz, Jackie McLean, Chick Corea, Alice Coltrane, and John Coltrane, all of whom are represented on this three-disc (there is a fourth DVD disc that adds interviews and videos of live shows) survey of Haynes' musical life and times. Spanning 1949 through 2006, at 37 tracks this set only begins to scratch the surface of what Haynes has contributed to jazz, of course, but it is both an ideal starting point and a capsule survey of those contributions. A must for fans and those in the know, but even the most casual listener will be impressed.

Album: A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 1
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 86:28
Size: 197.9 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 2007

[2:26] 1. Lester Young - Ding Dong
[3:00] 2. Bud Powell - Bouncin' With Bud
[3:02] 3. Charlie Parker - My Little Suede Shoes
[2:21] 4. Miles Davis - Morpheus
[2:50] 5. Miles Davis - Down
[2:30] 6. Sonny Rollins - I Know
[4:54] 7. Charlie Parker - I'll Walk Alone
[2:38] 8. Sarah Vaughan - Shulie A Bop
[3:32] 9. Nat Adderley - Two Brothers
[2:38] 10. Sarah Vaughan - How High The Moon
[4:20] 11. Roy Haynes - Reflection
[9:27] 12. Thelonious Monk Quartet - Rhythm A Ning
[3:49] 13. Etta Jones - Don't Go To Strangers
[5:41] 14. Eric Dolphy Quintet - On Green Dolphin Street
[2:28] 15. Stan Getz - I'm Late, I'm Late
[8:44] 16. Oliver Nelson - Stolen Moments
[4:40] 17. Roy Haynes Quartet - Long Wharf
[4:07] 18. Roy Haynes Quartet - Snap Crackle
[9:03] 19. Jackie Mclean - Esoteric
[4:09] 20. John Coltrane Quartet - After The Rain

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Album: A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 2
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 127:03
Size: 290.8 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[ 6:53] 1. Andrew Hill - Black Fire
[ 7:53] 2. Jack Dejohnette - Poppa Daddy And Me
[ 6:27] 3. Chick Corea - Matrix
[11:41] 4. Alice Coltrane - Transfiguration
[ 3:02] 5. Michel Petrucciani - Little Peace In C For U
[ 6:22] 6. Gary Burton - Question And Answer
[17:20] 7. John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
[ 4:35] 8. Roy Haynes - James
[ 4:24] 9. Roy Haynes - Equipoise
[ 7:15] 10. Roy Haynes - After Sunrise
[ 7:01] 11. Roy Haynes - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[ 5:55] 12. Roy Haynes - Vistalite
[ 6:43] 13. Roy Haynes - Water Children
[ 7:36] 14. Roy Haynes - Brown Skin Girl
[ 8:19] 15. Roy Haynes - Greensleeves
[ 6:53] 16. Roy Haynes & The Fountain Of Youth Band - Hippidy Hop
[ 8:37] 17. Roy Haynes & The Fountain Of Youth Band - Segment

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Georgie Auld & His Orchestra - In The Middle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:53
Size: 139,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:58)  1. You're Blase (vocal Sarah Vaughan)
(2:55)  2. A Hundred Years From Today (vocal Sarah Vaughan)
(3:11)  3. In The Middle
(3:16)  4. Stormy Weather (vocal Lynn Stevens)
(2:54)  5. I'll Never Be The Same
(3:07)  6. Stompin' At The Savoy
(2:47)  7. It Had To Be You (vocal Lynn Stevens)
(2:59)  8. I Don't Know Why (vocal Georgie Auld)
(2:58)  9. Air Mail Special
(3:15) 10. Here Comes Heaven Again (vocal Lynn Stevens)
(2:39) 11. Come To Baby Do (vocal Lynn Stevens)
(2:50) 12. Daily Double
(2:59) 13. You Haven't Changed At All (vocal Lynn Stevens)
(2:44) 14. Route 66 (vocal Georgie Auld)
(2:55) 15. Blue Moon
(3:17) 16. Time On My Hands (vocal Lynn Stevens)
(3:01) 17. Sweetheart Of All My Dreams (vocal Patti Powers)
(2:55) 18. Canyon Passage
(3:13) 19. Just A Sittin' & A Rockin' (vocal Lynn Stevens)
(2:50) 20. Georgie Porgie

Georgie Auld had a long and varied career, changing his tenor sound gradually with the times and adapting to many different musical situations. He moved from Canada to the U.S. in the late '20s and, although originally an altoist, he switched to tenor after hearing Coleman Hawkins. While with Bunny Berigan during 1937-1938, Auld sounded like a dead ringer for Charlie Barnet. After spending a year with Artie Shaw in 1939 (including leading the band briefly after Shaw ran away to Mexico), Auld sounded much closer to Lester Young when he joined Benny Goodman. With B.G., Auld was a major asset, jamming with a version of Goodman's Sextet that also included Cootie Williams and Charlie Christian. He was back with Shaw in 1942, and then led his own big band (1943-1946), an excellent transitional unit between swing and bop that at various times included such young modernists as Dizzy Gillespie, Erroll Garner, and Freddie Webster; Sarah Vaughan also guested on a couple of his recordings. After the band's breakup, Auld led some smaller groups that tended to be bop-oriented. He was with Count Basie's octet in 1950 and then freelanced for the remainder of his career, maintaining a lower profile but traveling frequently overseas and not losing his enthusiasm for jazz. Some may remember that, in 1977, he had a small acting role as a bandleader and played Robert De Niro's tenor solos in the otherwise forgettable Liza Minelli movie New York, New York. https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/georgie-auld-and-his-orchestra/56727532

In The Middle

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Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Sings Soulfully

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:15
Size: 101.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1963/1992
Art: Front

[3:10] 1. A Taste Of Honey
[3:19] 2. What Kind Of Fool Am I
[4:06] 3. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
[4:20] 4. Sermonette
[4:56] 5. In Love In Vain
[2:19] 6. Gravy Waltz
[3:04] 7. The Good Life
[3:10] 8. Moanin'
[3:37] 9. 'round Midnight
[3:27] 10. Easy Street
[3:07] 11. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
[5:35] 12. Midnight Sun

Sarah Vaughan's final Roulette session before going back to Mercury was one of her best. Some of the tunes (such as "A Taste of Honey," "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "The Good Life") do not look all that promising, but Vaughan was near the peak of her powers during this era. Plus her renditions of "I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," "Sermonette," "Gravy Waltz," "Moanin'," "'Round Midnight" and "Midnight Sun" are classics. Assisted by a sextet arranged by Gerald Wilson and including organist Ernie Freeman, trumpeter Carmell Jones, and the tenor of Teddy Edwards, Vaughan is brilliant throughout this highly enjoyable LP. ~Scott Yanow

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Antonio Carlos Jobim - Wave: the Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook

Styles: Vocal, Brazilian Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:32
Size: 146,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. Wave
(5:50)  2. So Danço Samba (Jazz Samba)
(3:14)  3. Happy Madness
(3:12)  4. Chovendo Na Roseira
(5:53)  5. Desafinado
(2:48)  6. A Felicidade
(4:46)  7. O Grande Amor
(4:03)  8. Insensatez
(4:48)  9. Amor Em Paz (Once I Loved)
(4:16) 10. Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)
(5:20) 11. Triste
(2:31) 12. The Boy from Ipanema
(5:18) 13. Samba de Uma Nota Só (One Note Samba)
(5:26) 14. Vivo Sonhando
(3:08) 15. Wave

The sequel to the popular The Girl from Ipanema anthology basically reshuffles the deck, duplicating nine of the earlier CD's songs and adding six new ones, using mostly the same performers with a few additions. The new wrinkle is that the artists perform different tunes, a game that one imagines could be continued indefinitely on future issues. Among the highlights: Ella Fitzgerald has a marvelous time bouncing to the rhythms of "So Danço Samba," Wes Montgomery  the consummate musician scores again with a lovely "Amor Em Paz," and Oscar Peterson is a surreal speed demon on "Triste." Lowlight: Sarah Vaughan's awkwardly mannered "The Boy from Ipanema." Again, there is plenty of Stan Getz along with his tenor sax successor in matters Jobim, Joe Henderson plus Astrud and João Gilberto, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Charlie Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, and Jobim himself. As a jazz buff's introduction to Jobim, either Songbook will do, but Verve's The Man from Ipanema triple album is the best, most comprehensively idiomatic choice overall. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/wave-the-antonio-carlos-jobim-songbook-mw0000648316     

Personnel includes: Antonio Carlos Jobim (vocals, piano, guitar); Cesar Camargo Mariano (piano, electric piano); Joao Gilberto (vocals, guitar); Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Elis Regina, Astrud Gilberto (vocals); Stan Getz, Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Dizzy Gillespie, Donald Byrd (trumpet); Romeo Penque (flute, piccolo, clarinet, oboe, English horn); Danny Bank (flute, alto flute); Phil Woods (clarinet); Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Lalo Schifrin, Eliane Elias (piano); Pat Metheny, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Byrd, Oscar Castro-Neves (guitar); Ron Carter, George Duvivier, Sam Jones (bass); Grady Tate, Paulo Braga (drums); Candido Camero (conga); Milton Banana (percussion); Gil Evan's Orchestra, Frank Foster's Orchestra.

Wave: the Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook

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Various - Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:24
Size: 165.8 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[1:51] 1. Susan Barrett - Manhattan
[2:27] 2. June Christy - You Took Advantage Of Me
[2:32] 3. Vic Damone - I Could Write A Book
[2:37] 4. The Dinning Sisters - Where Or When
[2:49] 5. Nancy Wilson - Little Girl Blue
[3:09] 6. Mel Tormé - Blue Moon
[3:04] 7. Margaret Whiting - Lover
[2:18] 8. Sarah Vaughan - Have You Met Miss Jones
[3:30] 9. Gordon MacRae - My Funny Valentine
[2:38] 10. The Andrews Sisters - My Romance
[2:41] 11. Peggy Lee - My Heart Stood Still
[2:28] 12. Nat King Cole - This Can't Be Love
[4:56] 13. June Christy - Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
[2:42] 14. Margaret Whiting - Thou Swell
[3:15] 15. Dean Martin - It's Easy To Remember
[2:49] 16. Nancy Wilson - It Never Entered My Mind
[2:34] 17. Dolores Gray - Isn't It Romantic
[2:08] 18. Vic Damone - The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
[4:10] 19. Sarah Vaughan - Glad To Be Unhappy
[2:31] 20. Peggy Lee - The Lady Is A Tramp
[3:43] 21. The Four Freshmen - Spring Is Here
[2:58] 22. Dinah Shore - Falling In Love With Love
[2:26] 23. Jane Froman - With A Song In My Heart
[5:57] 24. Les Brown & His Band Of Renown - Slaughter On Tenth Avenue

The songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart ended with Hart's death on November 22, 1943. The earliest track on this album of Rodgers & Hart songs from the Capitol Records vaults, the Dinning Sisters' version of the 1937 copyright "Where or When" (from the Broadway musical Babes in Arms), was recorded less than a month later, on December 17, 1943, and the latest one, Nancy Wilson's reading of "It Never Entered My Mind" (from the 1940 show Higher and Higher), on November 3, 1967. So, the collection consists of recordings made in the quarter-century after the Rodgers & Hart era. That's appropriate, since Capitol was co-founded by singer/songwriter Johnny Mercer to showcase the rise of individual pop singers in the waning days of the big-band period, and they often sang old show tunes with new, post-swing arrangements like those here, written by the likes of Billy May and Nelson Riddle. The leader in this sort of thing, of course, was Frank Sinatra, who was a Capitol artist. But he must have had a contractual right of refusal to have his recordings used on compilations like this, since he appears only as the conductor of Peggy Lee's version of "My Heart Stood Still." Most of the rest of Capitol's roster of singers is included, however, such as June Christy, Margaret Whiting, Nat King Cole, and Dean Martin. Only four of the tracks date from the 1940s, so this is really the music of the ‘50s and early ‘60s primarily, with the swing charts varied occasionally by a Latin treatment (Lee's "The Lady Is a Tramp") or a bongos-and-flute accompaniment (Dinah Shore's "Falling in Love with Love"). Variety is also provided by vocal groups like the Andrews Sisters and the Four Freshmen. Most of these performers are not jazz singers, but Mel Tormé gets to apply his pipes to "Blue Moon," and Sarah Vaughan goes all-out on an individual treatment of "Have You Met Miss Jones?" (or "old Jones," as she alters it), scatting like crazy. Richard Rodgers was notoriously hostile to liberal rearrangements of his songs, but he and Hart were done many favors by the Capitol singers who helped keep their copyrights alive and flourishing decades after the tunes were written. ~William Ruhlmann

Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hart

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Sarah Vaughan - Viva! Vaughan

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 36:00

Size: 82.4 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals, Standards

Year: 1965/2005

Art: Front

[2:27] 1. The Boy From Ipanema

[2:34] 2. Fascinating Rhythm

[3:15] 3. Night Song

[2:26] 4. Mr. Lucky

[2:45] 5. Fever

[3:28] 6. Shiny Stockings

[1:49] 7. Avalon

[2:45] 8. Tea For Two

[3:24] 9. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars

[2:41] 10. Stompin At The Savoy

[2:40] 11. Moment Of Truth

[2:49] 12. Jive Samba

[2:50] 13. A Taste Of Honey

Sarah Vaughan's Viva! Vaughan is a curious blend of jazz and pop with Latin percussion, with arrangements by ex-Basie sideman Frank Foster, recorded in the midst of the mid-'60s bossa nova craze. Vaughan is in great voice throughout the date and the material is generally first-rate, except for the bland "Night Song." The orchestra is an unusual blend, with seven trombones, flute, violins, piano, bass, and drums, plus Latin percussion, but no trumpets or saxophones. Foster's best arrangements omit the string section: there's a swinging take of Henry Mancini's "Mr. Lucky," a wild if brief "Avalon," a campy "Tea for Two," and Foster's own "Shiny Stockings." Unfortunately, the bossa nova selections ("The Boy from Ipanema" and "Quiet Nights") are burdened with pedestrian string arrangements that date the music as much as the generally uninspired Latin percussion. It's likely that this lack of focus confused the record-buying public as to what type of music this was and caused it to be overlooked. The brevity of the tracks and the lack of solo opportunities for the strong supporting cast (which includes Kai Winding, Jerome Richardson, Barry Galbraith, and George Duvivier, among others) make it seem like receiving airplay was a major goal of this release. However, the golden voice of Sarah Vaughan is this LP's most dominant factor, and it is worth acquiring. ~Ken Dryden

Viva! Vaughan  

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Sarah Vaughan - Everything I Have Is Yours

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:01
Size: 80.2 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1994/2009
Art: Front

[3:14] 1. The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else
[2:58] 2. Love Me Or Leave Me
[2:58] 3. A Hundred Years From Today
[3:10] 4. Penthouse Serenade
[2:41] 5. Everything I Have Is Yours
[3:23] 6. Lover Man
[2:50] 7. I'm Through With Love
[2:54] 8. Don't Worry About Me
[3:01] 9. September Song
[2:34] 10. Gentlemen Friend
[2:39] 11. I Feel So Smoochie
[2:33] 12. Trouble Is A Man

Sarah Vaughan's recordings of the 1940s tend to be with big bands and string sections. Depending on your taste for the symphonic or operatic Vaughan, this collection of tunes done between 1945 and 1947, originally for the Musicraft label and initially reissued on CD by the Drive Archive label in 1997, emphasizes some of the orchestral arrangements Vaughan favored, but it is not one that concentrates on ballads. Most of the material is midtempo, the charts are generally not syrupy, and you get an occasional small group assisting the Divine One. Because of the narrow chronological focus, you hear Vaughan working on her craft, developing her vocal sound in different ways, and melting into the band's music like few other vocalists can. To varying degrees, optimal results occur, although on some tracks Vaughan's voice is submerged or under-produced. The musicianship is always solid, making for a pleasing listening experience, especially when you can identify the many fine musicians -- generally unattributed -- on this recording. The two-plus-two tracks that bookend this CD are the most sugary, with strings and thin voice reproduction, with backing from the Ted Dale Orchestra, though Al Gibson's clarinet shines through and "I Feel So Smoochy" is playful and not violin-dominant. Three tracks with the Teddy Wilson Orchestra are the best big-band cuts, as the song of getting along "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" and the beautifully evocative "September Song" show Vaughan at her best alongside Wilson's tinkling piano or the tenor sax of Charlie Ventura. Two selections with the George Treadwell band are outstanding, as you hear the signature tune of surrender "Everything I Have Is Yours" and the insular, pining "I'm Through with Love," definitive Vaughan without question. One selection apiece with the Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker group, the Georgie Auld Orchestra, and the Billy Taylor Trio plus guitarist Remo Palmier span 1945, 1946, and 1947, respectively, giving you a progression of the diverse sounds that Vaughan favored behind her. The Diz/Bird take of "Lover Man" is a classic beyond reproach, the Auld band for "A Hundred Years from Today" is locked in a better sound production with vibrato and the singer in a lower key, while the Taylor quartet with bassist Al McKibbon and drummer Kenny Clarke do "Gentleman Friend" right, as guitarist Palmier joins for a crisp, professional reading of this sly elegy of encroachment. While not definitive, this time-capsule collection of music should please anyone wanting a quick standard burst or a new taste of the most amazing vocalist in pop/jazz ever, early in her stellar career. ~Michael G. Nastos

Everything I Have Is Yours

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Various - Capitol Sings Duke Ellington

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 71:57

Size: 164.7 MB

Styles: Easy Listening

Year: 1994

Art: Front

[ 5:04] 1. Duke Ellington - Duke's Place

[ 2:20] 2. Nancy Wilson - Satin Doll

[ 3:49] 3. Sarah Vaughan - Solitude

[ 3:20] 4. Nat King Cole - Mood Indigo

[ 2:53] 5. June Christy - Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'

[ 4:46] 6. Annie Ross - I'm Just A Lucky So And So

[ 2:44] 7. Lou Rawls - Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)

[ 3:06] 8. Dinah Washington - I Didn't Know About You

[ 3:49] 9. Dinah Shore - I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues

[ 3:08] 10. Nat King Cole - Don't Get Around Much Anymore

[ 2:54] 11. Hank Jones - In A Sentimental Mood

[ 3:04] 12. Harry James & His Orchestra - I'm Beginning To See The Light

[ 5:31] 13. Duke Ellington - I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

[ 2:10] 14. Peggy Lee - Jump For Joy

[ 2:15] 15. Dinah Washington - Do Nothing 'til You Hear From Me

[ 2:43] 16. June Christy - I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

[ 2:42] 17. Nat King Cole - Caravan

[ 2:29] 18. Nancy Wilson - Sophisticated Lady

[ 2:42] 19. The King Sisters - Take The A Train

[10:17] 20. Duke Ellington - It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

If you like Duke Ellington's music, you will love this collection. The disc includes some very well known versions of Ellington's big hits. As expected from the title, all the versions are from the Capitol Records' vault. I miss Ella Fitzgerald. A few cuts from her would have made this album perfect. But that's a minor point as the overall collection of artists represented here is outstanding. The artists range from Duke's own orchestra to Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Lou Rawls and the King Sisters. The title track, "Mood Indigo" is performed by Nat King Cole - simply the best.

The songs have been digitally remastered and the sound is as close to perfect as modern technology can make it. The music is as clean and bright on this album as it was when it was originally recorded. Great songs; great artists; excellent sound -- so, turn up the volume and swing the house! Highly recommended! ~Penumbra

Capitol Sings Duke Ellington

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Various - Heart & Soul: Celebrating The Unforgettable Songs Of Frank Loesser

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:16
Size: 147.1 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Helen Forrest - I Don't Want To Walk Without You
[3:06] 2. Bea Wain - Heart And Soul
[3:45] 3. Della Reese - Two Sleepy People
[2:31] 4. Kay Kyser - Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition
[2:48] 5. Sarah Vaughan - Can't Get Out Of This Mood
[2:59] 6. Vaughn Monnroe - Let's Get Lost
[2:49] 7. Johnny Mathis - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
[2:40] 8. Sarah Vaughan - Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
[2:55] 9. Dinah Shore - I Wish I Didn't Love You So
[2:56] 10. Pearl Bailey - Baby, It's Cold Outside
[7:32] 11. Four Lads - Where's Charley
[3:01] 12. Doris Day - I've Never Been In Love Before
[2:15] 13. Barry Manilow - Luck Be A Lady
[2:50] 14. Four Lads - Standing On The Corner
[2:51] 15. Doris Day - Somebody Somewhere
[3:55] 16. Johnny Mathis - Joey, Joey, Joey
[2:40] 17. Vic Damone - Never Will I Marry
[3:21] 18. Michele Lee - I Believe In You
[6:22] 19. Arthur Fiedler - Hans Christian Anderson Medley

There may be no better shorthand for Frank Loesser’s genius than the words “heart and soul.” They never deserted him, from the dapper hit-parade favorites he wrote for Hollywood, to his ambitious Broadway career that produced – in little more than a decade – Where’s Charley?, Guys and Dolls, The Most Happy Fella and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. A complex and sophisticated man, Loesser somehow managed to keep the essence of “heart and soul” in everything he wrote, without ever seeming glib. His craft deepened and broadened, but it never lost an almost streetwise honesty that is as dazzling and sharp as a diamond. You never feel cheated or manipulated in a Frank Loesser song. Seduced, maybe. Teased and kidded, certainly. Moved, almost always. And joyously entertained. ~ David Foil

Heart & Soul: Celebrating The Unforgettable Songs Of Frank Loesser

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Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan - Count Basie & Sarah Vaughan

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:06
Size: 105.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1962/1995
Art: Front

[2:10] 1. Perdido
[3:56] 2. Lover Man
[2:53] 3. I Cried For You
[3:53] 4. Alone
[3:09] 5. There Are Such Things
[2:48] 6. Mean To Me
[2:43] 7. The Gentleman Is A Dope
[4:50] 8. You Go To My Head
[3:07] 9. Until I Met You
[3:21] 10. You Turned The Tables On Me
[4:50] 11. Little Man (You've Had A Busy Day)
[2:50] 12. Teach Me Tonight
[2:42] 13. If I Were A Bell
[2:48] 14. Until I Met You

Although Count Basie gets top billing, he actually doesn't even appear on this set. Basie's Orchestra and pianist Kirk Stuart are purely in a supporting role behind the magnificent voice of Sarah Vaughan, other than a couple of short spots for trumpeter Joe Newman and Frank Foster's tenor. Sometimes Vaughan sounds overly mannered and seems to give little weight to the words she is singing, but her wide range and impeccable musicianship carry the day. Highlights include "Perdido," "Mean to Me," and "You Go to My Head," and the set is understandably recommended more for Sarah Vaughan fans than Count Basie collectors. [Some reissues add a pair of charming Vaughan duets with Joe Williams, "Teach Me Tonight" and "If I Were a Bell," that were originally released as a single, plus an alternate take of "Until I Met You."] ~Scott Yanow

Count Basie & Sarah Vaughan

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