Ruth Leon recommends…. Sarah Vaughan Centennial – Jazz at Lincoln Center

Sarah Vaughan Centennial – Jazz at Lincoln Center

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Click here to hear Misty

When I make my list for Desert Island Discs, which I revise at least once a week in the hope that one day I’ll be invited onto the long-running BBC radio programme, there’s one entry that never changes. It’s Sarah Vaughan’s Misty. Here’s a 1964 live video of it from Sweden. Irresistible.

The power, range, and flexibility of her voice made Sarah Vaughan  one of the greatest singers in jazz. With her rich, controlled tone and vibrato, she could create astounding performances on jazz standards, often adding bop-oriented phrasing. Along with Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, Vaughan popularized the art of jazz singing, influenced the generations of vocalists who have followed her including, of course, DeeDee Bridgewater.  

This week, at Jazz at Lincoln Center, there’s a two-night celebration of Sassy, the irreplaceable Sarah Vaughan, who died in 1990. That’s all the justification we need to revisit her musicianship and ebullient personality.
 
You have to join jazzlive.com ($9.99 a month) to watch the live show with DeeDee Bridgewater online but you can join for one month if you just want to watch this show and, if you loved Sassy, it’ll be worth it.

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