Never before entirely released concert recorded on 9 November 1969 at the Berlin Philharmonie. These emotionally intense concerts are all the more remarkable because of the artists high wire act, a balance constantly maintained throughout between her professional savoir faire (a vocal technique at the apex of her art and her interpretive skills) and her emotional abandonment to the moment as she gives her all. The entire performance, with Vaughan pouring out her heart, seems in hindsight at once perfectly timeless in terms of its formal classicism yet thoroughly in the fleeting moment. At the end of the day, these recordings are invaluable. As Vaughan explores the most lyrical, emotional aspects of her art, she overwhelms her listeners as she bares her soul. Her virtuosity in using her imagination to deploy all her technical skills and the extraordinary range of her tessitura are restrained rather than ostentatious. She literally reaches the stars and gives us a unique lesson in music as a form of the art of living.

CONTENTS:

• Charles Strouse, Lee Adams: A Lot of Livin' to Do
• Lennon & McCartney: And I Love Him
• Bacharach: Alfie
• Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner: On a Clear Day
• Mel Mitchell, Stanley Applebaum, Rita Mann: Passing Strangers
• Erroll Garner, Johnny Burke: Misty
• Gus Arnheim, Abe Lyman, Arthur Freed: I Cried for You
• Rodgers, R: Babes in Arms: My Funny Valentine
• Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons: All of Me
• Walter Gross, Jack Lawrence: Tenderly
• Howard, B: Fly Me to the Moon
• Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne: Time After Time
• Martin, Hugh: The Trolley Song (from Meet Me in St Louis)
• Webb, Jimmy: By The Time I Get To Phoenix
• Rodgers, R: No Strings: The Sweetest Sounds
• Jimmy van Heusen, / Johnny Burke: Polka Dots and Moonbeams
• Rube Bloom, Johnny Mercer: Day in, Day Out
• Gilbert Bécaud, Pierre Delanoë, Carl Sigman: What Now, My Love
• Jack Lawrence, Stan Freeman: I Had a Ball
• Webb, Jimmy: Didn't We?

Sarah Vaughan was one of the illustrious coterie of female vocalists who spanned the genres of jazz, big band music and sophisticated pop during the post-war era to provide some of the finest music of their times, not only interpreting the Great American Songbook and putting their own individual stamp on it, but continuing to perform top class new material through the musical upheavals of subsequent decades. Described by renowned music critic Scott Yanow as the "possessor of one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century" she performed and recorded consistently through to her demise in 1990. This great value 69-track 3-CD collection follows directly on in her career from our earlier release "The Early Years 1944-48" Sarah Vaughan (Acrobat ADDCD3251), and comprises the A and B sides of her releases on Columbia during her time with the label from 1948 through to 1953. It naturally includes all her eleven Billboard Top 30 entries in these years including the Top 10 hit "I Love The Guy", and features performances with Miles Davis, Bennie Green, Jimmy Jones and Budd Johnson, and the orchestras of Joe Lippman, Hugo Winterhalter, Norman Leyden, Percy Faith, Paul Weston and George Treadwell. In addition, the collection includes bonus tracks comprising 'live' recordings from this era with Jimmy Jones, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie, plus her 1950 MGM singles with Billy Eckstine. It's a comprehensive overview of this important period in her career and a thoroughly enjoyable showcase for her peerless talent as she effortlessly spans the world of jazz and commercial pop.

“Run the risk of being perfect? Luckily, Sassy Sarah also knew – better than a good many others – how to bring her desire for respectability close to the precipice, and even, from time to time, give it a solid heave over the edge.” Alain GERBER Fremeaux & Associes’ « Quintessence » products have undergone an analogical and digital restoration process which is recognized throughout the world. Each 2 CD set edition includes liner notes in English as well as a guarantee. This 2 CD set presents a selection of the best recordings by Sarah Vaughan between 1950 and 1961.