Sarah Vaughan – Sassy (Mono) – EmArcy (Acoustic Sounds Series) 180g Vinyl LP

She was a multiple Grammy Award winner, including a “Lifetime Achievement Award.” The National Endowment for the Arts bestowed upon her its “highest honor in jazz, ” the NEA Jazz Masters Award, in 1989.

On Sassy, which she recorded with Hal Mooney and his orchestra, Vaughan offers full solid “Tubey Magic” sound — plus all-analog recordng and mastering — without which you have almost nothing. Vaughan’s brilliant 1956 album for the Emarcy label captures a solid, palpable, real Sarah Vaughan singing seemly live in your listening room.

Arrangements here are by Mooney, and Vaughan takes an approach that showcases how she earned her acclaimed nickname, the same as the album title. She gives an engaging rendition of a number of standards on this set. Titles include “Lush Life,” “Only You Can Say,” “The Boy Next Door” and “I’m The Girl.”

Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve’s Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world’s largest source for audiophile recordings.

Track Listing

Side A
1. Lush Life
2. I’m the Girl
3. Shake Down The Stars
4. I’ve Got Some Crying to Do
5. My Romance
6. I Loved Him

Side B
7. Lonely Women
8. I’m Afraid The Masquerade Is Over
9. The Boy Next Door
10. Old Folks
11. Only You Can Say
12. A Sinner Kissed An Angel