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The second volume in the Classics Sarah Vaughan series primarily focuses on her Musicraft recordings from July 1946 to November 1947. After hearing her perform at the Three Deuces on 52nd Street, producer Albert Marx quickly signed her to a three-year contract with Musicraft. Backed by two different bands led by her soon-to-be husband, trumpeter George Treadwell, as well as Teddy Wilson’s Quartet and Octet, Vaughan infuses each song with elegance, style, and grace. The jazz ensemble accompanying her features notable players such as saxophonists Don Byas, Budd Johnson, and Charlie Ventura, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Emmett Berry, and drummer J.C. Heard, who held Vaughan in lifelong admiration. A highlight is her July 2, 1947, recording of “Tenderly,” the first-ever version of the song, composed by Musicraft’s musical director, Walter Gross. The collection also reveals Vaughan’s shift toward pop, similar to the paths taken by her contemporaries Billy Eckstine, Charlie Parker, and Billie Holiday. Eckstine, in particular, turned to pop for financial security instead of struggling with a modern jazz band. Three of the songs here were released on the MGM label. Throughout, Vaughan’s voice remains impeccable, especially in her moving rendition of “Lord’s Prayer,” which originally appeared alongside a soulful “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.” Though Ted Dale & His Orchestra’s arrangements can be slick, they still maintain a sense of coolness and authenticity, unlike some of the more commercial ensembles she worked with in late 1947 and 1948. These recordings reinforce why Vaughan is considered “Divine”— she could excel in any style or setting.

Track listing:
00:00 1 Sarah Vaughan With George Treadwell Orchestra–I’ve Got A Crush On You
02:59 2 Sarah Vaughan With George Treadwell Orchestra–I’m Through With Love
05:51 3 Sarah Vaughan With George Treadwell Orchestra–Everything I Have Is Yours
08:44 4 Sarah Vaughan With George Treadwell Orchestra–Body And Soul
11:40 5 Teddy Wilson Octet Featuring Vocal By Sarah Vaughan–Penthouse Serenade (When We’re Alone)
14:53 6 Teddy Wilson Octet Featuring Vocal By Sarah Vaughan–Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me
17:52 7 Teddy Wilson Quartet Featuring Sarah Vaughan–Time After Time
20:58 8 Teddy Wilson Quartet Featuring Sarah Vaughan–September Song
24:02 10 Sarah Vaughan With George Treadwell Orchestra–I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
26:46 11 Sarah Vaughan With George Treadwell Orchestra–Tenderly
29:50 13 Sarah Vaughan, Ted Dale & Orchestra–The Lord’s Prayer
32:45 14 Sarah Vaughan, Ted Dale & Orchestra–Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
35:34 15 Sarah Vaughan, Ted Dale & Orchestra–I Can’t Get Started
38:03 16 Sarah Vaughan, Ted Dale & Orchestra–Trouble Is A Man
40:39 17 Sarah Vaughan With Ted Dale & Orchestra–Love Me Or Leave Me
43:37 18 Sarah Vaughan With Ted Dale & Orchestra–I’ll Wait And Pray
46:39 19 Sarah Vaughan With Ted Dale & Orchestra–I Get A Kick Out Of You
49:31 20 Sarah Vaughan With Ted Dale & Orchestra–The Man I Love
52:18 21 Sarah Vaughan With Ted Dale & Orchestra–I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
54:42 22 Sarah Vaughan With Ted Dale & Orchestra–The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else
57:53 23 Sarah Vaughan With Ted Dale & Orchestra–Button Up Your Overcoat
01:00:22 24 Sarah Vaughan With Ted Dale & Orchestra–I Feel So Smoochie

Personnel:

Alto Saxophone –Scoville Brown (tracks: 5, 6)
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Eddie de Verteuil (tracks: 1 to 4,)
Baritone Saxophone – George James (tracks: 5, 6)
Bass – Al McKibbon (tracks: 1 to 4), Billy Taylor Sr. (tracks: 5 to 8), Mack Shopnick (tracks: 17 to 24)
Clarinet – Sam Musiker (tracks: 17 to 24)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Al Gibson (tracks: 1 to 4)
Directed By, Arranged By – Ted Dale (tracks: 13 to 24)
Drums – Cozy Cole (tracks: 17 to 24), J.C. Heard (tracks: 5, 6,), William Barker (tracks: 1 to 4)
Guitar – Al Casey (tracks: 17 to 24), Jimmy Smith (tracks: 1 to 4), Remo Palmieri (tracks: 5 to 8), Tony Mottola (tracks: 17 to 24)
Piano – Jimmy Jones (tracks: 1 to 4), Nicholas Tagg (tracks: 17 to 24), Teddy Wilson (tracks: 5 to 8)
Tenor Saxophone – George “Big Nick” Nicholas* (tracks: 1 to 4) Charlie Ventura (tracks: 7, 8), Don Byas (tracks: 5, 6)
Trumpet – Buck Clayton (tracks: 5, 6),
Trumpet, Directed By – George Treadwell (tracks: 1 to 4)

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Label: Classics (11) – CLASSICS 989
Series: The Classics Chronological Series – 989
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: France
Released: 1998