Sarah Vaughan - A House Is Not A Home (Mainstream Records 1974)

The voice that comes along once in a lifetime, no several lifetimes, as a famous critic put it. Sustained vibrato and pinpoint accuracy. Sadly we mourn the death of one of the composers of this song, Mr Burt Bacharach, who partnered Hal David as a writer of some of the most memorable songs of modern times.

Sarah Vaughan in concert 1987

I've just noticed that my post of Sarah Vaughan in concert in Brussels from a while back has been disallowed because of copyright infringement. That is sad as it was a great concert and I feel that my column is lacking without a similar concert from Sassy, the Divine One, Sarah! So here is a replacement, the 1987 concert at Bern with George Gaffney on piano,Andrew Simpkins on bass and Harold Jones on drums. This is towards the end of her life but she has lost none of the control she is famous for. If the finale of the end song, Send In The Clowns does not move you in some way then, well enough said!

Sarah Vaughan - The More I See You (Live from Sweden) Mercury Records 1964

The balance on this clip of Sarah Vaughan is perfect and highlights just what a great voice she had. The control is absolute and she seems to do it without effort. In my opinion this is really great music, when the voice is the main instrument. The backing is right on point and the camera work is excellent showing the full range of emotion she brings to the number. It seems a lot of other people shared my opinion. She was the recipient of many awards in her lifetime, including four Grammies and an Honorary Doctorate.