In July 1958, Sarah Vaughan was in Paris on tour with her trio when she took three days off to record Vaughan and Violins (Mercury). There was a full orchestra for the date, complete with woodwinds and strings arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones. Joining were pianist Ronnell Bright, Vaughan's accompanist; Richard Davis, her bassist; and Zoot Sims, blowing obbligatos behind her.
On the first date of the session (July 7), Vaughan recorded Misty, which she aced so thoroughly that the Erroll Garner composition would become one of her most requested songs.
This is the 1958 Mercury studio recording (dig how Vaughan lets her voice crinkle on the word "love" at the end)...
And here's the remarkable Sass (with a cold) singing Misty in Stockholm in January 1964, backed by Kirk Stuart (piano), Buster Williams (bass) and George Hughes (drums)...
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Vaughan and Violins at here. And you'll find the clip above on the DVD Jazz Icons: Sarah Vaughan Live in '58 & '64 here.
In the Wall Street Journal today, my interview with eclectic blues original Taj Mahal that's pegged to an upcoming two-CD set of previously unreleased material. The album, Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal: 1969-1973 (Legacy), will be available at Amazon on Aug. 21.
