On 4 Nov 2002 at 20:27, mack watson-bush wrote: > Brenda wrote: > > Sarah Vaughan - "You Are Too Beautiful" > > > Brenda, I have read your posts about Sarah more than once and thus > want some advice from you. I remember seeing her for the first time, > probably 15-20 years ago now, on some awards show, back when I still > watched them. I had heard of her but that was the extent of my > knowledge about her at that time. On this program, she had a > handkerchief and was wiping the sweat from her brow as she sang. I > don't remember the song but it was something deep, touching, and she > wrung the emotion from it and gave it to me through the t.v. screen. > All I could think was "damn, she is good." I then went out and bought > a couple of her albums but they weren't like the Sarah on the t.v. > The tunes she did on these albums were sweet, pretty songs. I wanted > the gritty, real songs by Sarah Vaughn. I know there must be some. > Help.
LOL! Well, she was a pop singer back in the day...so I could easily see how you ended up with the sweet side. I highly recommend the following: Four of the records from the Pablo years: Duke Ellington Songbook Vol.1 Duke Ellington Songbook Vol.2 How Long Has This Been Going On and Crazy & Mixed Up ( My all-tme fave) She was a big time smoker. And by the time she did these records her voice had deepened considerably. Yet she didn't lose power. Her instrument was huge. I saw her live in Boston in 1986 and I was floored. I hadn't seen anything like it before and haven't seen anything like it since. >From her earlier years, I suggest: At Mister Kelly's (1957, a live record away from the orchestras), Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (It was originally released in 1954 and just called Sarah Vaughan - I think - but you'll find it now under this title) and Sarah Sings Soulfully probably the best from the Roulette years. She started off as the second pianist and vocalist for Earl Hines. She was a singer in Billy Eckstine's orchestra at the same time as Charlie Parker and Dizzy. I think her being a pianist as well shows in her singing....to me she sings like a musician plays...she sings like THOSE guys played. She is still my hero. Brenda
