Track Listing

1. Lullaby of Birdland
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 Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5424 in Music
• Released on: 2000-02-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com essential recording
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

Customer Reviews

A gorgeously restored classic
Sarah Vaughan's self-titled album featuring Clifford Brown has always been a landmark of her recording career; her warm, lush voice was in absolute top form and the musical backing was nothing short of stellar. And whereas most jazz vocalists of the 50's focused mainly on their own singing, this album explains why musicians considered Sarah one of their own; this isn't so much a singer's release as it is a project by a jazz combo that happens to feature a human voice as one of its counterparts. Generous solos are given throughout, and the album has an earthy, jam-session quality. "You're Not the Kind" and "Lullaby of Birdland" show Sarah at the height of her swinging abilities ("Birdland" even boasts what is arguably the best scat of her career) and "I'm Glad There is You," "April in Paris," and "Embraceable You" rank among the most moving and emotional ballads she's ever recorded.

Additionally, this release single-handedly justifies the remastering and reissuing process. This album has been available on CD for years and sounded just fine; the reissue, however, adds a texture to the music (especially noticeable on sax and drums) that is priceless. Amazingly, Sarah's voice sounds even more beautiful and the project as a whole no longer sounds like it was recorded decades ago. For artistic jazz standards of yesteryear and the sound technology of today, you can't find a better release than "Sarah Vaughan."

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"). She's not quite as operatic or showy (the long tremolos, for example) here as on some of her work. Despite the relative understatement, however, her tonal changes and swoops are dramatic.

She's wonderful on "Lullaby of Birdland," scatting as well as Ella, and she excels on "September Song," almost defining the vocal ballad. The great Clifford Brown has a sweet extended trumpet solo, rapid and soft at the same time. While I'm not a fan of jazz flute, Herbie Mann adds dimension to the album (and is used sparingly), and he stays away from pyrotechnics. "He's My Guy" has almost an R and B sound, with an excellent sax solo, and memorable work by Brown and Jones. But, ouch... there's a high-pitched flute solo that I could have done without. "Guy" is one of the faster songs on this album of ballads.

There's an excellent selection of standards here, from "I'm Glad There is You," to "April in Paris" and "Embraceable You," with subtle comping by Paul Quinichette (ts), Jimmy Jones (p), and Joe Benjamin (b). "I'm Glad There is You" is tender and romantic, and Sarah provides some tremendous vocals, shifting tones in mid-stream and adding tremolos to good effect. Her sentimental "April in Paris" is perhaps the best version I've heard- she elevates its emotional power without saccharine effects. "Embraceable You" is not quite as appealing; Brownie's trumpet would have increased the impact. While I can never get enough of Clifford Brown, there's enough here to satisfy, especially his full-ground, powerful, cuttingly smooth work on "Jim," "He's My Guy," and the aforementioned "September Song."

A slow romantic album to be savored, this 1954 (not 1955) date is indispensable to fans of Ms. Vaughan. It's intimate, largely understated yet very effective, and is worth it just to hear Clifford Brown's accompaniment, let alone Ms. Vaughan.

Top ten all time Jazz
This is another album ranking in my top-ten personal favorites, and damned if it doesn't feature Clifford Brown too, just like Helen Merrill's classic...he draws your heartstrings and accents these recordings naturally, perfectly. Beautiful songs, beautiful lady, nobody has more gorgeous phrasing or heart-lifting vocals than Sarah. Can you live without this album in regular rotation? I can't.