Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan (Mono, Universal)
Sarah Vaughan – vocals [click here to see more vinyl featuring Sarah Vaughan]
Clifford Brown – trumpet
Paul Quinichette – tenor saxophone
Herbie Mann – flute [click here to see more vinyl featuring Herbie Mann]
Jimmy Jones – piano
Joe Benjamin – bass
Roy Haynes – drums [click here to see more vinyl featuring Roy Haynes]
Ernie Wilkins – conductor
John Malachi – piano (on Shulie a Bop)
1 LP, gatefold old-style tip-on jackets
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Mono
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Universal Music Enterprises
Original Label : EmArcy
Recorded at December 18, 1954
Produced by Bob Shad
Remastered by Ryan K. Smith
Originally released in 1955
Reissued in 2021
Tracks:
Side A :
- Lullaby of Birdland
- April in Paris
- He's My Guy
- Jim
Side B :
- You're Not The Kind
- Embraceable You
- I'm Glad There Is You
- September Song
- It's Crazy
- Lullaby Of Birdland
Reviews :
"Sarah Vaughan was the supreme jazz singer. Smoky lows, silky highs, precise articulation across five octaves, a keen connection with a lyric, boundless harmonic inventiveness, and a sense of swing, which swayed and simmered, front and center, always. Later, Vaughan barely hid her boredom when stuck with material that didn't suit her, but at her peaks, with small ensembles, she was, and remains, matchless. This eponymous album, recorded in December 1954 when Vaughan was just 30, ranks among her classics — and thus among the classics of jazz vocal albums. Midtempo standards ("Lullaby of Birdland," "April in Paris," "Embraceable You") a top-notch sextet (with Clifford Brown, whose death in a car crash a year-and-a-half later, at 25, would cut short the career of a trumpeter rivaled only by Miles Davis); and Vaughan's evocative, mesmerizing, naturally gorgeous voice — what more could you want? Good sound? The sound here, better than you might expect from 66-year-old mono tapes, is more than good enough. Vaughan is particularly present — up close, full-blooded, and detailed — as are the horns when they solo. The other instruments are a bit distant but not hooded. There is a slight electronic haze over the proceedings, as on several Mercury recordings of the era, but it's barely noticeable, except compared with say, Ella Fitzgerald's sonic jaw-droppers for Verve a few years later. The reissue — another collaboration between Universal Music and Acoustic Sounds — sounds markedly better than the original pressing. A must-have." Fred Kaplan, Stereophile.com, May 2021
"This 1954 studio date, a self-titled album recorded for Emarcy, was later reissued as Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown to denote the involvement of one of the top trumpeters of the day. Vaughan sings nine intimate standards with a band including Brown on trumpet, Herbie Mann on flute, and Paul Quinichette on tenor, each of which have plenty of space for solos (most of the songs are close to the five-minute mark). Vaughan is arguably in the best voice of her career here, pausing and lingering over notes on the standards "April in Paris," "Jim," and "Lullaby of Birdland." As touching as Vaughan is, however, Brown almost equals her with his solos on "Lullaby of Birdland," "Jim," and "September Song," displaying his incredible bop virtuosity in a restrained setting without sacrificing either the simple feeling of his notes or the extraordinary flair of his choices. Quinichette's solos are magnificent as well, his feathery tone nearly a perfect match for Vaughan's voice. Ironically though, neither Brown nor Quinichette or Mann appear on the album's highlight, "Embraceable You," which Vaughan performs with close accompaniment from the rhythm section: Jimmy Jones on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums. Vaughan rounds the notes with a smile and even when she's steeping to reach a few low notes, she never loses the tremendous feeling conveyed by her voice. In whichever incarnation it's reissued, Sarah Vaughan is one of the most important jazz-meets-vocal sessions ever recorded." Sarah Vaughan Review by John Bush
The (Ryan K. Smith) mastering and the pressing from Quality Record Pressings, however, is perfect. The packaging is better by far than an original, with the deluxe Stoughton foldout cover offering bonus Hermann Leonard photographs. This is everything a vinyl reissue should be." Dennis D. Davis, Hi-Fi +, Issue 194
Ratings :
AllMusic : 5 / 5 , Discogs : 4,55 / 5