VAUGHAN, SARAH gershwin live 25AP2598

The Divine One Meets the Master Composer: Sarah Vaughan’s “Gershwin Live!”

There are albums that are simply essential listening, and “Gershwin Live!” is, without a doubt, one of them. This 1982 recording captures one of the greatest voices in 20th-century music, Sarah Vaughan, paying tribute to one of its greatest composers, George Gershwin, in a breathtaking live setting. We are looking at the Japanese pressing of this Grammy-winning album, released on the CBS/Sony label with the catalog number 25AP2598, swing journal magazine celebration hype sticker on outer shrinkwrap.

By this stage in her career, Sarah Vaughan, known as “Sassy” or “The Divine One,” was in complete and utter command of her astonishing instrument. Her multi-octave range, her virtuosic control, and her sophisticated harmonic understanding made her a true musician’s musician. Gershwin’s timeless melodies, the bedrock of the Great American Songbook, became the perfect playground for her genius.

This is not a polite, reverent reading of these classics. This is a live performance, and it finds Vaughan at her most playful, daring, and brilliant. Backed by her stellar trio, she deconstructs and rebuilds these songs, scatting with the dexterity of a horn player and altering melodies in ways that are both surprising and sound completely inevitable. The album includes her legendary interpretations of standards like “Summertime,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” and an absolutely stunning “’S Wonderful.”

The album deservedly won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female. It is a masterclass in vocal jazz, a recording that is both accessible to the new listener and endlessly rewarding for the seasoned aficionado. For any fan of the Great American Songbook or the art of vocal improvisation, this album is a monumental and essential recording. You can find this album on our website.