In Count Basie's Autobiography (Good Morning Blues, pages 270-271), he told a story of a time when he needed to audition a new singer for the band. Sarah loved the band, and would drop by whenever she and the band were in the same city. The auditions went on for a few weeks, and after about a week,when Sarah came by (the piano was in the Count's dressing room), the Count, after having auditioned a few singers that day, was lying down on his cot, tired, and not looking forward to playing for another singer who was being sent up by the security guard. Sarah offered to play the piano for the auditioning singer, and because the Count appreciated being able to lie down and listen to each singer, he kept asking her to come back each day, and she did, offering her comments on each singer (Sarah always came up with helpful suggestions and comments regarding the band and its music, he wrote), She even brought up another singer on one of the days, to try out. It wasn't until later that the Count realized that he "had had one of the greatest singers in the world coming by there every g...d...day, playing that piano so that (he) could audition other singers." Later, the Count asked Sarah why she didn't say something (about singing with the band) since she wasn't working anywhere at that time, and she replied, laughing, "I thought you just didn't want me. I just thought I wasn't what you were looking for."
It's amazing because there are "artists" now that don't possess a fraction of her talent. Yet she didn't blow her own horn. She just assumed she wasn't who he wanted. Amazing.
Her ability to play the piano I think made her singing so much more expressive. She is naturally funny and I love listening to her! Definitely my favorite jazz vocalist ever. Her ability is effortless, never ending, DIVINE!
WOW - I love all of her singing, so I already knew that she was an amazing vocalist, but I never knew that she was a master of the piano, or that she had such a sense of humor. I only wish that she were still here with us today so that I could experience her onstage liveliness.
Ella Fitzgerald regarded Sarah as the most amazing voice of the day. Sarah would humbly state that her voice was barely two octaves on a good day. That right there is humility. We know her voice is a force of nature 😁
See, that's just not fair. To have that once in a generation voice AND to be able to play that well? Somebody missed out when they were handing out talent. She's one of the all time GREATS, and yes, I think she had a nicer voice than Ella. Couldn't scat like her and maybe not as versatile, but had a prettier voice. No hate mail, please. I love them both.
Her laughing shows a big, warm, full voice with bright crispy high notes- a dark-full coloratura (mezzo)soprano laughing/ laughing shows the natural quality og a voice
There's a lovely simple song, "Isn't she lovely", and she is in all her talents given to us generously. Sarah was cool, funny, subtle, so gifted. We often forget that women in jazz as elsewhere were under everything, (including unscrupulous managers), under- appreciated, rewarded, publicised, recorded. Sarah, Carmen, Nina, so many, were just bloody wonderful, on piano, as vocalists, as entertainers, actresses, dramatists, story tellers.
My inspiration! Such an accomplished vocalist, and pianist. I would have loved to meet "The Sassy One" herself, but these videos will just have to suffice, lol!
Wow! Thank you so much for this! I knew Sarah in The Seventies when I was living in L.A. We were friends. I saw her sing a lot of times, watched her record in the studio, and was privy to spontaneous singing and playing piano in a home I was living in. But I never saw her play piano onstage! So, you have given me a wonderful gift! Have you posted the whole concert? What year was it and where in Italy? Thanks!
Yes, I was! And she was a warm, loving, kind, honest, generous, and wildly fun and funny woman! You can catch a bit of her "sassy" personality in this video. It was an awesome time. And she truly was, is, DIVINE!
What a treat! What an entertainer! I never knew she was multi talented! I just know she has always been my favourite singer from the first time I heard her song “Broken Hearted Melody” on the radio - the rest is history. She truly was magnificent!! Thank you very much thejazzingers for this upload.
I've seen and heard Sarah play piano while she sang, but never have I seen her only play. It was a wonderful treat and just as enjoyable as her singing. Thanks for posting this.
SARAH VAUGHAN interpreta al piano TEA FOR TWO , pieza compuesta en 1925 por Vincent Youmans . Era buena pianista .Comienza con unas notas sobre temas de RACHMANINOV ( PRELUDIO EN DO SOSTENIDO MENOR, pieza que es la Nº 2 de la obra FANTASÍA OPUS 3 , que tiene 5 piezas) , y a BEETHOVEN (PARA ELISA) +una tercera que desconozco , para pasar ya al TE PARA DOS .Tengo una foto de 1943 en la que aparece SARAH como 2ª pianista en la big band de EARL HINES, frente a frente los 2 pianos. En dicha orquesta de 18 músicos tocaban entre otros, CHARLIE PARKER Y DIZZY GILLESPIE , y una mujer que tocaba el acordeón.
@blanknalblanknalb Dinah Washington was also a very good pianist. She was notorious for being very particular about piano players in her band. She gave them a hard time, and if they couldn't meet her expectations they were out. She was a perfectionist, who expected the same from those she worked with.
Oh what a delight! And she obviously learned classical plays (dabbled with Rachmaninoff there first) and how she manages to plays with those HUGE nails! LOL
