SARAH VAUGHAN: SASSY

Performer: Sarah Vaughan, vocals; Hal Mooney and His Orchestra
Composer: Sarah Vaughan
Number of discs: 1
Barcode: 0602465124767
Label: Analogue Productions
Format: LP
Genre: Jazz
Year: 2024

A new stunning release from the reissue series of the Verve / Universal Music Enterprises catalog curated by Acoustic Sounds.

Each month, at least one new release of the most emblematic albums of great jazz.

Remastering done by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog masters.

The long-awaited mono reissue of the iconic Sassy by Sarah Vaughan.

180-gram LP pressed at Quality Record Pressings.

Old-style tip-on gatefold cover made by Stoughton Printing.

Series supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds.

Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday are rightfully considered two leading figures in the jazz vocal landscape, and third in this line is Sarah Lois Vaughan (born in 1924), better known as Sassy. Early in her career, Sassy sang (and also played piano) in the orchestra led by Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine, but in 1945 she decided to pursue a solo career.

The recordings from the five years she recorded for Columbia Records (1949-1954), primarily based on popular ballads, made her famous; Sarah reached the peak and became a true star. During her years under contract with Mercury (1954-1959), her fame grew even more, and she was considered a fully established singer. But Sassy was a woman with two souls: on one hand, she worked with prominent jazz musicians like Clifford Brown and Cannonball Adderley, and on the other, she continued to record albums of big hits with easy-listening orchestras, such as this Sassy, recorded in 1956 with Hal Mooney and his orchestra.

Easy-listening, of course, does not mean superficiality, as evidenced by Mooney's tasteful arrangements, which allow Sarah to once again demonstrate her great ability to express the different moods and atmospheres of each song. The range of her voice, having reached full maturity, with its almost instrumental flexibility, and her versatility, will never fail to amaze the listener.

Sarah Vaughan, vocals; Hal Mooney and His Orchestra

Lush Life
I'm the Girl
Shake Down the Stars
I've Got Some Crying to Do
My Romance
I Loved Him
Lonely Women
I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over
The Boy Next Door
Old Folks
Only You Can Say
A Sinner Kissed An Angel