New Music Tuesday – Divas Abounding

Three discs again. March must be the month of the triumvirate.

First up, is my big prize of the month: Sarah Vaughan and Her Trio : Live at Mr. Kelly's (which happens to have been located in Chicago – it's a theme!) That's right, a live recording! And a simple trio to boot. Yippee! This one is a set from 1957, and man, does Sassy swing it! What to say about the disc? Here is the opening from the liner notes by Lee Jeske:

“No matter what I, or any past or future jazz critic, has ever said or ever will say about Sarah Vaughan, none of us can do her justice.”

Good advice. I will just say, this one is awesome. Her personality is captured in the banter before the songs. My favorite example is the introduction to Willow Weep For Me (a gorgeous version) when she says,” The next number is Willow Weep For Me. In just a moment we're gonna find a key...” Classic.

Number Two: Another Classic: Billie Holiday : Songs For Distingue Lovers.
This Verve reissue is beautifully done. And now I must come clean in that up until today, I have never really appreciated Billie Holiday. I think it is like my great jazz teacher, Chas Baker, told me and that is that one day I would hip up enough to really understand Duke Ellington. I guess I've hipped up enough to get Billie now. This disc is absolutely wonderful. Just listen to the first track (Day in and Day Out) if nothing else, the musicians are incredible and her singing is marvelous. They claim this project was Billie's best studio work of the 50's. I believe it.

Number Three: Luciana Souza : North and South
Furthering my exploration of Souza, I picked this disc up. I love her version of All of Me, and her original I Shall Wait is lovely as well. She truly is a gifted musician and I am really starting to appreciate her. She does a very palatable blend of American jazz trios with Brazilian rhythms and sensibilities. Good stuff.