Sassy Swings the Tivoli [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This two-CD set presents two hours of Sarah Vaughan performing in Copenhagen's Tivoli over a four-day period in 1963. It's Vaughan doing what she did regularly, singing strong material in the context of her working trio, made up here of pianist Kirk Stuart, bassist Charles Williams, and drummer George Hughes. Producer Quincy Jones supposedly worked with her on selecting the tunes, but there are no surprises. The material is all familiar standards and jazz tunes, and those songs that might be unusual in another singer's repertoire--"Black Coffee" or "Poor Butterfly"--were mainstays in Vaughan's. These are wonderful performances. Vaughan's voice was as fine an instrument as has ever sung jazz and her timbre was without peer. Scatting on an uptempo song like "Sometimes I'm Happy" or her own medium-tempo "Sassy's Blues," she's as fluently inventive as almost any instrumentalist. While her ballads would sometimes become stagy in live performances--complete with asides to the band or audience--they could also be marvelous, and there are many in that category here. Vaughan's sound is so variable that she sometimes gives the impression another singer has begun a song, and she can range within a single song from the richest depths to soaring, fluting highs. There are dual versions of a few songs here--"What Is This Thing Called Love," "Lover Man," "I Cried for You"--and they demonstrate just how spontaneously creative Vaughan was. --Stuart Broomer

Tracks:

I Feel Pretty
Misty
What Is This Thing Called Love
Lover Man
Sometimes I'm Happy
Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey
Tenderly
Sassy's Blues
Polka Dots And Moonbeams
I Cried For You
Poor Butterfly
I Could Write A Book
Time After Time
All Of Me
I Had'nt Anyone Till You
I Can't Give You Anything But Love

Tracks:

I'll Be Seeing You
Maria
Day In Day Out
Fly Me To The Moon
Baubles, Bangles And Beads
The Lady's In Love With You
Honeysuckle Rose
What Is This Thing Called Love
Lover Man
I Cried For You
The More I See You
Say It Isn't So
Black Coffee
Just One Of Those Things
On Green DolphineStreet
Over The Rainbow

Amazon.com

This two-CD set presents two hours of Sarah Vaughan performing in Copenhagen's Tivoli over a four-day period in 1963. It's Vaughan doing what she did regularly, singing strong material in the context of her working trio, made up here of pianist Kirk Stuart, bassist Charles Williams, and drummer George Hughes. Producer Quincy Jones supposedly worked with her on selecting the tunes, but there are no surprises. The material is all familiar standards and jazz tunes, and those songs that might be unusual in another singer's repertoire--"Black Coffee" or "Poor Butterfly"--were mainstays in Vaughan's. These are wonderful performances. Vaughan's voice was as fine an instrument as has ever sung jazz and her timbre was without peer. Scatting on an uptempo song like "Sometimes I'm Happy" or her own medium-tempo "Sassy's Blues," she's as fluently inventive as almost any instrumentalist. While her ballads would sometimes become stagy in live performances--complete with asides to the band or audience--they could also be marvelous, and there are many in that category here. Vaughan's sound is so variable that she sometimes gives the impression another singer has begun a song, and she can range within a single song from the richest depths to soaring, fluting highs. There are dual versions of a few songs here--"What Is This Thing Called Love," "Lover Man," "I Cried for You"--and they demonstrate just how spontaneously creative Vaughan was. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

BUY THIS ALBUM NOW!!!.......2007-07-12

This is the greatest!!! I was so in awe by the raw delivery on EACH song!!! There is no comparison. I listen to this cd just about every day. I cannot get enough of it. Her tone on these songs makes the listener feel as though they are in the Tivoli. She paints colors. It is incredibly hard to pin point a favorite song. You must buy this whether or not you are a Sarah fan or just a music lover it is a must have. Anything you ever wanted to learn about music is here!!!! Simply Beautiful!!

Sassy Swings the Tivoli, my review from Barcelona.......2007-06-17

Hearing to believe, even it would say more, it's only necessary to listen this excellent record with a little attention for detecting we are in front of one of the best JAZZ singers ever and in front of a fascinating recording, completely relaxed. Of course we are talking about the great SASSY, SARAH VAUGHAN. Saying this, I think it's sufficient and besides this great registration is considered perhaps one of her best live sessions of the 1960' s if not the best (Only of these live sessions we could find one recording better than this "Sassy Swings the Tivoli" the earliest 1957 "At Mister Kelly's" session). About "Tivoli" I am going to refer to some few songs because are standards very well-known ever, Vaughan is quite expressive in tunes as "Misty", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Tenderly", "Poor Butterfly" and " "I Cried For You", but the remainder of the record and its interpretation is absolutely brilliant. In this occasion he is joined by her rhythm section of the period, pianist Kirk Stuart, bassist Charles Williams and drummer George Hughes instead of the habitual orchestras and that they do a session delight, the fact is that most of her best records have been done with small groups rather than orchestras, despite the grandiloquence of her voice.

My Best Album.......2006-03-27

I can't find the words to describe the late Ms. Sarah Vaughan. She was right on every note. She was extraordinary. I am so excited and so delighted and giddy and grinning and thrilling and chilling when I hear this lady sing. The band is superb, the arrangements couldn't be better. All I can say is WOW! what a record. This is one of those rare records you would buy a backup copy of just in case because it really is my best record.

Wonderful!!.......2005-10-13

LUV this Sassy live set! Recorded at the Tivoli in Copenhagen in the early 60's this is jazz singing at its best. That wonderful silky voice, her incredible range, what she can do with a song! I only wish I could have seen her live before she passed on. What a loss. Fortunately there are so many Sarah Cd's out there and this is one of her best! Discover the Divine Sarah, there was no one like her!

Sassy Swings the Tivoli.......2005-10-04

This is a great CD. The best Cd I've bought all year. It came right away and was in excellent condition.

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