Sarah Vaughan W/Clifford Brown: Sarah/Brown;Clifford Vaughan: Amazon.ca: Music

Frequently Bought Together

1. Lullaby Of Birdland (Composite Master Take)

2. April In Paris

3. He's My Guy

4. Jim

5. You're Not The Kind

6. Embraceable You

7. I'm Glad There Is You

8. September Song

9. It's Crazy

10. Lullaby Of Birdland (Partial Alternative Take)

Product Description

From Amazon.co.uk

The liner note writer uses the word "masterpiece" and he is not wrong to do so. Sarah Vaughan rarely sang better than she does here, and her version of "Embraceable You" is a lesson in jazz invention. Sarah Vaughan's complete works for Mercury filled up 23 CDs. The bit on this CD is undoubtedly the cream of the set. There is a good selection of numbers, including superb versions of "April In Paris" and "September Song", and there doesn't seem to be a single moment when the music drops below the inspired level. Vaughan was accompanied by a disparate group of horn players--trumpeter Clifford Brown, flautist Herbie Mann and tenor saxist Paul Quinichette. Brown's genius just dazzles and Mann and Quinichette lifted their game to a level that they never reached again. The rhythm section of Jimmy Jones, Joe Benjamin and Roy Haynes was Vaughan's normal trio of the times. Inspired? Faultless? A masterpiece? I think so. Oh, and in case you were wondering, it's beautifully recorded, too. --Steve Voce

Product Description

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

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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.9 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Come to Mama, come to Mama, do, Mar 21 2004

By

David G. Smith (Fairfax, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sarah Vaughan W/Clifford Brown (Audio CD)

From the opening intro you know you are in for something accesible and new at the same time with this one. I have listened sporadically to jazz since I was fifteen, I saw aging Gillespie and Basie live, and Ella and Joe Pass. I got hooked on a label that focused on Ella, and never listened to much Sarah Vaughan. I just have to say that this early stuff rocks(or Jazzes, I guess). The aforementioned first cut just cruises along is such a heartstoppingly beautiful way...for me, no music does this to me like Jazz. I listen to a lot of stuff(though I hate when people blow their own horn about how eclectic their musical tastes are...yeah yeah, get over yourself) I can think of no other music that creates these time stopping moments for me like jazz does. The first cut, lullaby of Birdland does this several times...it creates absloutely breathtaking moments, the opening intro, the absolutely spare backup, allowing total support for master vocals....the scatting, and then this great point where Sarah sings in front of a rythmic arrangement...it is magical for me.
Oh yes, there is the rest of the music, which wails and ballads it's way into every nook and cranny of ones romantic soul. When Sarah sings Embraceable You, you want to come to mama(that is a lyric..) (oh that great moment is coming up..........don't you love it)
Gotta figure it out for yourself...but chances are you will want to embrace someone yourself when you listen to it...

or want to go to birdland, or experience Paris

it's an emotional travelogue of the map of the jazzy heart.

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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best vocal jazz albums ever, Oct 21 2003

By

Brouhaha (Dallas, TX, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sarah Vaughan W/Clifford Brown (Audio CD)

It is hard to find information about Jazz in today's world, so it is hard to know what is good, what is bad and what is... well, you know. THIS is better than good. This is Sarah Vaughn, one of the best voices in the history of singing, backed by the best band she ever worked with, featuring trumpeter Clifford Brown. I'd pay the purchase price just for "Lullaby of Birdland", but fortunately there are 8 other awesome tracks here. This is one of those albums you can play all the way through over and over again. No jazz record collection should be without it.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Classy small-group music from Vaughan, Nov 28 2002

By

N. Dorward "obsessive reviewer" (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sarah Vaughan W/Clifford Brown (Audio CD)

At this stage of her career Vaughan was often put in front of larger bands; here, however, she's working just with Jimmy Jones's trio plus three horns: tenor saxophonist Paul Quinichette, flautist Herbie Mann & the great trumpeter Clifford Brown. The arrangements are by Ernie Wilkins, though the tracks aren't in fact highly "arranged" in feel.

Sarah Vaughan's voice was of course at its freshest & loveliest at this point, & it's truly mesmerizing no matter what the material. Or perhaps I should say "despite the material": there's an odd mix of classic songs like "September Song", "April in Paris" & "Embraceable You" with material that hardly was up to that calibre. "Lullaby of Birdland" is a great tune, but it's an instrumental: the lyrics superadded to Shearing's melody are truly atrocious, & Vaughan's near-operatic voice can't do much with rhymes like "birdland" and "word-land", or phrases like "magic music we make with our lips when we kiss". "Jim"'s lyrics mine the same kind of helpless pathos one associates with some of Billie Holiday's setpieces, & Vaughan's reading has some noticeable Holiday inflections, but it's not exactly a great tune, with a wretchedly clumsy B section lyric (rhyming "call it quits" with "breaking my heart in bits"....ouch!). -- All that said, Vaughan's superb on the material which actually can sustain some interpretive weight. "April in Paris" & "Embraceable You" are both done at dead-slow tempos & are very lovely; "Lullaby of Birdland", despite the rotten lyrics, also has an excellent bit of scatting on it.

The band is rather mixed. Herbie Mann is pretty undistinguished, tooting away rather vaguely & not showing much ability here as an improvisor. Quinichette was one of the most faithful of Lester Young's imitators--he was often dubbed "the Vice-Prez"--& while he doesn't set a foot wrong here, on the other hand does nothing especially distinctive, with a softness & blandness that compare poorly with the wonderful foggy, misterioso inwardness of his role model's playing. The unquestioned star on the disc is Clifford Brown, whose perfectly focussed & poised solos completely outshine the efforts of his companions except, of course, Vaughan herself.

A very good album, despite its imperfections. It's a pity that the relationship between Vaughan & Brown wasn't sustained beyond this one album. Listeners who want to hear more of Brown's work with singers are directed to his work with Helen Merrill.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Sarah Vaughan at Her Best
I've had this CD over a year now and every time and every time I listen to Sarah, I swear she sounds better each time. This is one hell of a recording. Read more

Published on Aug 19 2002 by Lynn D. Larrow

4.0 out of 5 stars An must for your jazz collection
If you want one album that shows the young Sarah Vaughn at her best, this would be definitely be it. Read more

Published on July 15 2002 by chefdevergue

5.0 out of 5 stars Sassy and Her guys.
I first heard this album in 1955, when I came home on leave from the Navy. My friend Nicky had it, and we listened to it together.I was only 18 years old then. Read more

Published on May 9 2002 by Thomas Rosenthal

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh yeah....
Is this not the most beautiful female voice you have ever heard? Sarah was such a talent and you can see why while listening to this famous recording. Read more

Published on Feb 20 2002 by Andy Williamson

5.0 out of 5 stars The ever delightful Sassy!
In a word, exquisite!. The liner notes say that the masterpiece of the album is "Embraceable You" but for me it's "September Song" It's like a piece of... Read more

Published on Feb 16 2002 by Rafael F. Arvelo

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for Sarah Vaghan connoisseurs
This is perhaps, one of Sarah Vaughan's best recordings--a must for all jazz enthusiasts. Although the next lines are a bit off track, whenever I look at the front picture cover,... Read more

Published on Nov 27 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Subtle Sarah
Subtle Sarah

There's no one like the young Sarah Vaughan; on this album she has a beautifully smooth and supple voice (in addition to her famous "head tones"). Read more

Published on Nov 27 2001 by M. Allen Greenbaum

5.0 out of 5 stars Sarah and Clifford at one sitting, what else can be said
I must admit that I am an ardent fan of Ella but this album certainly puts Ms. Vaughn a very close second. She could not have chosen a better side-man of the time. Read more

Published on Oct 5 2001 by Scott E. Porter

5.0 out of 5 stars ...elegance at work...
pay attention: THERE IS NO SONG IN EXISTANCE AS BEAUTIFUL AND ROMANTIC AS "EMBRACEABLE YOU" AS SUNG BY THIS WOMAN RIGHT HERE!!! Read more

Published on Aug 10 2001 by R. Davis

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime jazz singing!
This CD was my introduction to Sarah Vaughan, and what an introduction it was! My only complaint is that, when I'm done listening, it always leaves me wanting more. Read more

Published on July 20 2001 by Mark Welch