Sarah Vaughan and Her Trio - Swingin' Easy

Sarah Vaughan had already mastered the roots of gospel music and the intricacies of bop when her overarching talents led her to be packaged as a pop-singing canary. Fortunately her work with EmArcy allowed for some straight-ahead, unadorned jazz performance, where Vaughan's talent could shine without the frills. On Swingin' Easy, Vaughan is backed by a pair of trios, both featuring the great drummer Roy Haynes, whose supple rhythms give Vaughan's voice the context it deserves. "Shulie a Bop," "Lover Man," "All of Me," "Body and Soul" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me" are masterful performances. --John Swenson Amazon.com essential recording

Words just can't describe these lush, beautiful landscapes...

Sarah Vaughn could entertain her audiences so skillfully so that very few artists could ever match her. Wherever she went Sarah enjoyed a very positive rapport with her audiences; and this CD gives us much evidence of her singularly exquisite talents.

The CD also offers a special treat in that Sarah rarely performed in small groups; on this album Sarah performs with only three musicians. This allows us to focus on Sarah's voice as her own musical instrument. Hooray!

The track set opens with "Shulie A Bop;" and wow, how she scats on this number! I like how Sarah introduces the trio: for this particular number John Malachi plays piano; Joe Benjamin plays bass and Roy Haynes is on drums. Excellent!

"Lover Man" gets an especially sensitive rendition that only Sarah could make for it; and "All Of Me" is delivered with great joy by Sarah.

"You Hit The Spot" begins with Sarah crooning so sweetly; she almost recites her lines instead of singing them and this produces a sublime effect. The number then switches gears and as it speeds up you'll feel like jumping up and dancing for joy as Sarah sings of her one true love. "Pennies From Heaven" offers Sarah yet another opportunity to show off her swinging, jazzy and soulful vocal talents as she sings this to perfection. The musical arrangement shines; the trio accompanying Sarah on this number consists of Jimmy Jones on piano; Richard Davis on bass and Roy Haines on drums. Oooh, how sweet!

"Body And Soul" receives the ultimate romantic ballad treatment by Sarah and her trio; and "They Can't Take That Away From Me" lets Sarah and her trio perform the most brilliant jazzy, romantic rendition this song ever got!

The CD ends with a brief bonus number that was not released on the original LP recording. "Linger Awhile" opens with a brief jam; and as the band jams further Sarah uses her voice as a musical instrument to jam right along with them. You will enjoy this bonus track as Sarah and the musicians are in perfect synchronicity.

The liner notes include the original covert art and the original liner notes for the record album release; and Benjamin Franklin V contributes a fine essay about Sarah, too. You'll also find a great black and white photo of Sarah in the recording booth.

Sarah Vaughn remains a titan in the history of quality jazz; her voice was such a musical instrument that only a very few artists could ever touch her. I highly recommend this CD for Sarah Vaughn fans; and people who enjoy classic jazz vocals will treasure this CD.

Enjoy!
March 14, 2007

Get ready for a "treat" not a "treatment"

Sit back, relax and get ready to hear just what singing is all about. Should be in all Sarah Vaughan fans collections. August 16, 2006

The most essential Sarah Vaughan album of the 50's

Sarah recorded many fine albums for Emercy, back in the 50's, but "Swingin' Easy" is without a doubt her finest, with her regualr trio, and with a voice like Vaughan's a horn is not missed. The only other albums from that period that come close to this are "Vaughan & Violens" and "Sarah Vaughan & Her Trio Live"(that was 60's). This cd has Sarah doing a difinitive version of the WWII era gem, Polka Dots & Moonbeams, that I'm sure made Sinatra proud(he recorded it w/ Dorsey's swing band). An exellent cd, with the original cover artwork, taht has Sarah in a cool 1950's modern butterfly chair. April 3, 2005

Only she could make it look easy.

For me, this session ranks with "Sarah Vaughan/Clifford Brown" and "Live at Mr. Kelly's" as Sarah's most satisfying recorded work. The rhythm section format not only allows her more freedom than do the heavily orchestrated dates from this period but encourages her to conceive of her role as jazz instrumentalist rather than coloratura diva. Moreover, her voice was never better--silky yet vibrant, seamlessly continuous in all registers and devoid of any hint of wobble.

On ballads like "Prelude to a Kiss" and "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" Sarah is the song's best friend, bringing all of its melodic-lyric charms to life and requiring no more than a single pass to do so. Perhaps no further example is needed to demonstrate Sarah's mastery than "They Can't Take That Away from Me," when she not only recites but illustrates the words "off key" through her own playful intonation. And only Sarah could take ephemeral "riff" material like "You Hit the Spot" and make it sound worthy of inclusion in the Great American Songbook. But the sleeper on the program is "Words Can't Describe," an obscure song that, on the basis of Sarah's reading, should be a staple in the American Songbook.

The accompaniment is provided by two highly supportive, empathetic trios. To my ears, the walking bass lines of Joe Benjamin swing more than those provided by Richard Davis. Roy Haynes is the constant on all of the tracks, so the slightly different feel of the rhythm can't be attributed to the drummer.

I see that it's been 12 years since this CD was issued. It would be a pity if a singular session such as this were consigned to more of the "Best Of" or "Greatest Hits" anthologies that have caused us to lose sight of influential artists' most seminal projects. February 3, 2004

A Sarah Masterpiece

This began as a 10-inch Sarah Vaughan LP on Mercury which, as I remember, was titled "Contrasts." Eight songs. When 12-inch LPs came along, four more songs were recorded and it all became "Swingin' Easy." The original cover was a garish painting, the new cover a very hip photo of a very hip Sarah relaxing in a very hip chair. The album is also very hip. Relaxed, inspired jazz, endlessly listenable, still fresh after nearly a half-century. She never topped "Shulie-a-Bop" but everything on this album is super. November 1, 2002

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