Sarah Vaughan and Clifford Brown - Sarah Vaughan W/ Clifford Brown

Like a gifted actress, Sarah Vaughan always makes lyrics come alive, whether on poignant ballads or buoyant pop novelties. Vaughan "plays" her voice as if it is a "real" instrument, and on this 1955 marvel, she is matched with musicians of an equally high caliber. On "Lullaby of Birdland," she trades harmonically advanced scat lines with Herbie Mann, Paul Quinichette, and Clifford Brown. Vaughan is hauntingly romantic and Brown is at his most lyrical on "September Song." She shows her unbelievable bop-influenced creativity on "You're Not the Kind"; Brown's hard-swinging solo and Quinichette's Lester Young-styled softness set up an incredible ending cascade from Vaughan. Pianist Jimmy Jones's beautiful chords on the infectious "He's My Guy" show why he was one of the most sought-after vocal accompanists, while Vaughan's phrasing, deliberately behind the time, adds perfectly to the relaxed feel. "April in Paris" reveals her operatic quality as Brown's tingling riffs fill in the space behind her. Throughout, Sassy combines exquisite elegance, impressive range, and an effortless delivery. --Marc Greilsamer Amazon.com essential recording

Sassy At Her Intimate BEST (with Clifford Brown is Icing on the Cake !)

If I had to pick a "Desert Island" CD of Sarah Vaughan (a.k.a. "Sassy"), I'd go to my remote island with this one. Sarah recorded countless LP's during her lifetime in a variety of settings, ranging from full-blown orchestras, syrupy strings, a jazz combo or trio, or even with just a piano by her side. This one features her with just a quintet of jazz players in the recording studio, and I think it's her BEST!

I always felt she performed at her best when she was in a quiet unobtrusive setting where there were only a few people around her as opposed to 40 or 50 people as in a big band or violin string situation. The producer Bob Shad is very smart to let each song flow unhurriedly in a mellow way. He knew with Sassy at full ease, she'd be able to take the song in a unique direction. Each song clocks in at least over 5 or 6 minutes long, which is almost unheard of in today's commercial "let's make a quick buck" mentality.

It's very clear everyone wanted to make a recording that captures the feel of a late-night jazz setting. Picture yourself in a smoke-filled darkened jazz room with your friends or love one beside you with a martini on the table, quietly enjoying Sarah and Her Friends. The imagery evoked by this CD recording is so strong that it literally takes you to one of those (now defunct) West Village nightclubs in New York (ah....those were the days!!)

The icing on the cake is having Clifford Brown, the famed trumpeter, on this recording with Sarah. Cliffy (as his friends called him) would die in a car crash only a few months after this recording, and all jazz critics consider his presence here with Sarah Vaughan as one of his lasting legacies.

The song selection here is SUPERB, each one an instant Classic and almost made definitive by Sarah Vaughan. Most tracks would be recorded by the likes of Sinatra, Ella, Bennett, Streisand, but I think it is Sarah's unhurried, mellow, smooth interpretation that remains definitive. If you don't believe me, just listen to "September Song" and "Embraceable You" by Sassy here, then listen to the same songs performed by the likes of Sinatra, Bennett, Streisand, etc. and you will come back to Sassy's version. It's THAT Good !! Her "Embraceable You" can never be topped.

Thanks to Verve Records for the beautiful remastering job. Details previously not heard are now heard in true form. You do hear the "hiss" on some tracks, but that's because the hiss was present on the master tape as well, plus the high level of treble to bring out the full details of the recording. Please do yourself a favor -- if you're a jazz fan or enjoy jazz singing and playing at its finest, please get this wonderful CD. October 30, 2008

Sassy and Brownie - what more can you ask for?

What do you get when you team one of the most beautiful voices in the history of Jazz music (or any musical genre for that matter) with perhaps the greatest trumpet player in Jazz history - pure magic! I can throw out all the cliche's and hyperbole in the world trying sway the rest of you out there who don't own this yet to purchase it immediately. However, what am I going to say that will trump all of the critics (both pros and Amazon ams alike) who give this recording five stars w/out hesitating a second after they listen to it the first time?

When my first child was born just recently, I choose three CD's out of my collection of over a thousand to take with me to the hospital and this was one of the three. Believe it or not, everytime our baby boy has a crying fit, this is the only CD that will consistently get him to stop. So obviously it has a huge place in my heart.

I would give this two extra stars if I could. April 6, 2007

Timeless Lullaby

Listening to this collaboration between Sarah Vaughan and Clifford Brown (among others) today makes you feel as if time stood still since it was originally recorded in 1954. Vaughan's voice is as crisp now as it will ever be and brings you a sense of what a truly timeless performance is and what art is all about. Packing classic after classic, you hear her perform jazz standards like it is the first time you've heard the songs, such as the case of "Lullaby of Birdland". Her wide ranging voice will simply never die and will continue to save a place for her in music history as one of the best singers ever. September 26, 2006

Vaughan and Brown "speak" the same language on this CD.

This 2003 release of Vaughan's December, 1954, album (previously released in 1991 as "Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown") is one of her most brilliant collaborations and a fine memorial to the work of Brown, who died eighteen months after recording this, at age twenty-six. With Brown on trumpet, Paul Quinichette on tenor sax, Jimmy Jones on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, and Herbie Mann on jazz flute, the album is a sophisticated partnership among musicians, all of whom are thinking of the whole sound and the whole effect, rather than their own star turns. The mood varies from light to poignantly tender, the tempo is usually slow, and the volume is kept low, highlighting the creativity of each performer's variations while remaining true to the songs and their meanings.

"Lullaby of Birdland" is lightly swingy in Vaughan's hands, with minimal accompaniment and a restrained mood. Vaughan's voice ranges widely, with a lovely contrast between her lowest range and the flute of Mann, as Brown plays a muted trumpet and remains in the background. "April in Paris" is sweetly tender, with Vaughan hesitating as she asks "What have you done to my heart," her accompanists keeping their solos soft. Both "Embraceable You" and "September Song," slow-tempo songs long associated with Vaughan, allow for much improvisation and highlight Vaughan's enormous range while allowing Brown to soar. The "partial alternative take" of "Lullaby of Birdland" features Vaughan's best scat.

"Jim" and "I'm Glad There Is You" are personal favorites. "Jim," a narrative revealing the intimacy of a relationship in which the woman declares she will continue to love a man who will leave her, begins with a duet, Brown's trumpet so close to the timbre of Vaughan's voice that it sounds like another voice, while his later solo, louder than usual, conveys the passion of the song. "I'm Glad There is You" also features a perfect melding of voice and trumpet as Vaughan hits some of her highest notes in one of the most beautiful combinations of voice and trumpet ever.

Vaughan's range, her emotional feel for the music and sensitivity to her fellow musicians, her clarity of voice, her ability to control tempo (delaying her entrance on some phrases, repeating some lyrics as an echo and then "catching up"), and her recognition that one does not have to shriek to improvise or convey meaning are all highlights of this CD. This elegant album is marked by the restraint of the musicians, all of whom are wildly creative while respecting each other and their songs. Mary Whipple
June 24, 2006

It doesn't take much

I'm a man of few words, but many CDs. This is in my top 20 secure CD case. All the tracks are excellent, but, September Song is my favorite. GET IT! May 3, 2006

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