Vaughan, Sarah

Vaughan, Sarah (Sarah Lois Vaughan), 1924-90, American jazz singer, b. Newark, N.J. Nicknamed "Sassie," she studied piano and organ, began singing in her church choir, and won (1942) the famous amateur contest at Harlem's Apollo Theater. Subsequently, she sang with bands led by Earl "Fatha" Hines, Billy Eckstine, and John Kirby. During this period she was also associated with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, learning much from their bop horn stylings. From 1947 on, Vaughan worked as a soloist, becoming one of jazz's finest vocalists. An alto who moved easily from honeyed to harsh, she had a huge range and a finely controlled vibrato, and was acclaimed for her performance of such songs as "Lover Man," "It's Magic," and "Misty." An active recording artist from the mid-1940s on, she frequently (1950s-80s) toured the United States and Europe.

(born March 27, 1924, Newark, N.J., U.S.—died April 3, 1990, Hidden Hills, Calif.) U.S. jazz singer. Vaughan won an amateur contest at Harlem's Apollo Theatre in 1942 and soon joined Earl Hines's big band as vocalist and second pianist. Joining Billy Eckstine's band in 1944, she gained exposure to the new bebop style; she was especially influenced by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker and recorded with them in 1945. Alternating between popular song and jazz, she worked as a soloist for the rest of her career. A vast range and wide vibrato in the service of her harmonic sensitivity enabled Vaughan to use her voice with a seemingly instrumental approach, often improvising as a jazz soloist.

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Live in Japan is a 1973 (see 1973 in music) live album by the American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan.

In 2006, the Library of Congress honored the album by adding it to the United States National Recording Registry.

Track listing

1. "A Foggy Day" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) 1:21
2. "Poor Butterfly" 5:04
3. "The Lamp Is Low" 1:37
4. "'Round Midnight" (Thelonius Monk) 5:37
5. "Willow Weep for Me" (Ann Ronnell) 3:00
6. "There Will Never Be Another You" 1:34
7. "Misty" 3:12
8. "Wave" (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 7:03
9. "Like Someone in Love" 2:29
10. "My Funny Valentine" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) 5:32
11. "All of Me" 1:56
12. "Where Do I Begin" (Francis Lai) 5:05
13. "Over the Rainbow" (Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg) 7:01
14. "I Could Write a Book" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) 2:15
15. "The Nearness Of You" 4:51
16. "I'll Remember April" 3:25
17. "Watch What Happens" 2:54
18. "Bye Bye Blackbird" 5:53

Personnel

Recorded at the Nakano Sun Plaza Hall, Tokyo, Japan, 24 September, 1973:

• Sarah Vaughan - (vocals)
• Carl Schroeder - (piano)
• John Giannelli - (double bass)
• Jimmy Cobb - (drums)

Encore

At the end of the show Sarah took requests from the audience at to which song they would like to hear. After rejecting a few obvious choices someone suggested Bye Bye Blackbird. Sarah had never recorded this song before in her long career but was inspired and she and the band take the song with great joy and gusto.