Nothing like a voice from the past to show how the present has fallen short. Resonance Records, one of the top deliverers of historic albums, has been dumping out a goldmine of material lately, and this one of vocalist Sarah Vaughan in her prime is a classic example of how a jazz singer is supposed to sound. Completely authoritative, swinging, dynamic and uninfluenced by anyone else, she leads a team of Carl Schroeder/p, Walter Booker/b and Kind of Bluer Jimmy Cobb/dr through 90 minutes of jazz vocal heaven.
Recorded at Rosy’s Jazz Club in New Orleans back in 1978, this 2 disc set spotlights Sassy’s every strength. Driven by Cobb’s ride cymbal, she comes out shooting on the charging “I’ll Remember April” while holding back behind the beat like Lester Young on a delicious “I Fall In Love Too Easily.” She wails on the quicksilver “Sarah’s Blues” and basks in glory on a definitive reading of “Send In The Clowns.” Slinky and sleek with Booker on the intimate “East of The Sun” she goes the same route with Schroeder and lets her vibrato fill the room on “Time After Time.”
She swoops like a pelican after its prey on the rich “Everything Must Change” and “I Got It Bad” while holding a late night candle on the romantic “If You Went Away.” Her bop chops are in full swing with Cobb riding shotgun on “The Man I Love” and as she closes the evening, you jaw would have dropped on the duet with Schroeder on “My Funny Valentine.” Why am I Iistening to any of these current vocalists?!?
As with all Resonance issues, there is an informative and hefty booklet with cool interviews and pics, as if you needed another reason to buy this!
Resonance Records