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Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990), American Jazz Singer Spanning Multiple Generations Of Jazz


The Hersch

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Sarah Vaughan in a duet with Milton Nascimento singing "Bridges (Travessia)" from the 1977 album O Som Brasileiro de Sarah Vaughan, which, again, I had on LP. It was also released in the U.S. as I Love Brazil!, but even though I bought it in the U.S. my LP had the Portuguese title. I think the tracks were the same on the two releases, but possibly arranged in a different order.

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I recently posted a link to Sister Rosetta Tharpe singing a gospel-soul-rock-n-roll "That's All". Here's a completely different song with the same title (1952), sung by Sarah Vaughan on her album, "Crazy and Mixed Up", released in 1982, which arguably presents her very best recorded work. (Don't be fooled by the pictures of a very young Sarah that accompany this recording.) I love this more than I can say. Perhaps you can hear in it what makes Sarah Vaughan my ideal singer.

Roland Hanna on piano, Joe Pass on guitar, Harold Jones on drums, and Andy Simpkins on bass.

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Just discovered this topic. I've probably told this story before, but Vaughan used to appear at Blues Alley about twice a year, IIRC; but, I kept putting off going to see her--thinking there would be other times. I don't actually like Blues Alley very much as a music--and certainly not--as a food venue. But, back in the 80's, a friend was tasked with entertaining some Chinese gentlemen and asked if I had any ideas. Vaughan was at Blues Alley and I suggested that. She found the whole experience transformative and couldn't thank me enough for recommending it.

Then, of course, Sarah died. So, I am left with some of her CDs with which Dame Edna would gift me on Valentine's Day. She was just the best and I am so glad she left us with such a legacy.

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I had a similar history with Sarah Vaughan. I fell desperately in love with her singing, way back in the 1970s, and yes, she would show up at Blues Alley periodically, although I don't think it was quite as often as twice a year. And I always thought I'd go next time. And then she died. I had many opportunities to hear her live, in person, and I missed them all. But at least I once got to see Barry Manilow! :wacko:

I should hasten to add that Barry Manilow was not performing at Blues Alley.

Anyway, from the sublime to the totally ridiculous, here is Sassy singing Eddie Sauter's "Moonlight on the Ganges," which appeared on her 1963 album "The Explosive Side of Sarah Vaughan". This may be in contention for Stupidest Song Ever. My little Hindu? How can you whisper a melody? As it happened, this was the first recording of Sarah Vaughan I ever heard, to my recollection, which probably would have been in 1972.

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Anyway, from the sublime to the totally ridiculous, here is Sassy singing Eddie Sauter's "Moonlight on the Ganges," which appeared on her 1963 album "The Explosive Side of Sarah Vaughan". This may be in contention for Stupidest Song Ever. My little Hindu? How can you whisper a melody? 

"Moonlight on the Ganges" is old, probably from the 1930s - when India was as exotic as Mars. It's one of those embarrassing American "things" (like some of the Betty Boop cartoons) you just have to either eschew altogether, or watch with a grain of salt and hopefully issue a silent apology to whatever ethnic group is being slurred. When I think of some of the cartoons I watched in the 1960s without so much as a second thought, it's little wonder racism was (is) so rampant in this country.

Strathmore has an upcoming Tribute to "Sassy" Sarah Vaughan on May 15th.

Herschel, just making sure you've seen this.

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"Moonlight on the Ganges" is old, probably from the 1930s - when India was as exotic as Mars. It's one of those embarrassing American "things" (like some of the Betty Boop cartoons) you just have to either eschew altogether, or watch with a grain of salt and hopefully a silent apology to whatever ethnic group is being slurred. When I think of some of the cartoons I watched in the 1960s without so much as a second thought, it's little wonder racism was (is) so rampant in this country.

Herschel, just making sure you've seen this.

Yes, I've seen it. Thanks.

I believe I erred in attributing "Moonlight on the Ganges" to Eddie Sauter, probably by misinterpreting something in his Wikipedia article. On further investigation, I believe Sauter created the arrangement of the song that was used by Benny Goodman. The song itself was published in 1926 and credited to Chester Wallace and Sherman Myers, according to this. As Eddie Sauter was born in 1914, he would have been 12 years old when this came out.

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