Pure Pleasure / Roulette PPAN SR52091 - 180 gram Virgin Vinyl
Limited Edition - Pure Analogue Audiophile Mastering
Mastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road - Pressed at Pallas Germany
Wrapped in the soothing strings of arranger Don Costa, Sarah Vaughan recorded an unsurprisingly dreamy ballads collection titled "Snowbound". Despite the peaceful atmosphere and strolling tempo, Vaughan hardly treats the material as a cinch for her voice; all of these 11 songs find her searching for different ways to present timeworn standards. The opening title track is one of the warmest, most romantic songs on the LP, Vaughan plumbing the depths of her alto and nearly perfecting her humming vibrato. She also selects an obscure tune from the Gershwins ("Blah, Blah, Blah", understandably overlooked but fun nevertheless) and, near the end, turns from cozy ballads into a mini-suite of forlorn material: "I Fall in Love Too Easily", "Glad to Be Unhappy", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most". "Snowbound" is an overlooked gem from Sarah Vaughan's Roulette years.
PurePleasure Records, from England, should be commended for re-issuing relatively ignored jazz issues from the 1950s and 1960s, and giving them the benefit of remastering in upgraded sound on 180gm vinyl.
Snowbound was issued during Vaughan’s years with Roulette Records which lasted from approximately 1960 to 1964. Most of Roulette’s issues were produced by Teddy Reig, an inimitable character, who was known for giving his label artists free rein to work their magic. That worked particularly well with the Count Basie Band.
For Snowbound, Sarah was matched with Don Costa, who did the arrangements and conducted the strings and woodwinds. For the eleven tracks on the album, largely ballad standards were chosen, such as “Stella by Starlight,” “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” and “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most.”
Sarah’s gorgeous alto and vibrato are put to good use and she does not coast, simply content to earn an easy paycheck. For this ballad collection, Vaughan’s only rival would have been Ella Fitzgerald. Both could have sung from a phone book as their voices were so glorious.
Sassy has her fun with the Gershwin’s “Blah, Blah, Blah,” one of the overlooked compositions of the two brothers. The strings and woodwinds are unobtrusive and give Vaughan the minimal support she needs. They are there for mood setting, and that they do.
On “I Remember You” Sarah shows her ability to bend a vocal or extend with vibrato, a vocal phrase. Her voice was in her prime, and it is a joy today to hear her make each song her own. The remastering by Sean Magee, done at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, is firstrate. The strings and woodwinds are mixed perfectly for listening as they are perfectly set on the sound stage leaving Vaughan upfront, but neither overwhelming, nor so distant as to be irrelevant.
For fans of Ms. Vaughan, Snowbound would be a welcome addition to their collection of this jazz vocalist supreme.
"On “I Remember You” Sarah shows her ability to bend a vocal or extend with vibrato, a vocal phrase. Her voice was in her prime, and it is a joy today to hear her make each song her own. The remastering by Sean Magee, done at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, is firstrate. The strings and woodwinds are mixed perfectly for listening as they are perfectly set on the sound stage leaving Vaughan upfront, but neither overwhelming, nor so distant as to be irrelevant. For fans of Ms. Vaughan, Snowbound would be a welcome addition to their collection of this jazz vocalist supreme." - Jeff Krow, www.audaud.com, 4 Stars!!
Musicians:
Sarah Vaughan, vocals
Orchestra conducted by Don Costa
Selections:
Side A:
1. Snowbound
2. I Hadn't Anyone 'Til You
3. What's Good About Goodbye
4. Stella By Starlight
5. Look To Your Heart
6. Oh You Crazy Moon
Side B:
1. Blah, Blah, Blah
2. I Remember You
3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
4. Glad To Be Unhappy
5. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
Recorded July 1962 in New York City.
