Live At Rosy’s
Resonance Records, 2015
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Vaughan
REVIEW BY: David Bowling
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 04/10/2016
Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald are considered the three finest female jazz singers of the 2oth century. Vaughan tended to be the most mainstream of the trio and enjoyed a career of nearly 50 years.
Her greatest commercial success took place in the 1940s and 1950s when she placed dozens of crossover hits on the pop charts. In the 1960s through the ‘80s, she was constantly on the road as a top attraction in nightclubs and concert halls all across the country. 
When she performed at Rosy’s Jazz Club in New Orleans on May 31st, 1978, her almost operatic voice had lost none of its power and appeal. It could soar and purr at will as she interpreted a number of songs from the Great American Songbook. The music from that New Orleans concert is now available for the first time.
While Vaughan performed with many backing configurations during her career, she was always the most comfortable and vocally adept when backed by a basic trio. Here, pianist Carl Schroeder, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Jimmy Cobb provide all the backing she needs for her 90-minute performance.
The sound is clean, especially for a recording nearly 40 years old. There is a 36 page booklet with essays, photos, and interviews that give a complete picture of the concert and Vaughan. The participation of surviving band members Cobb and Schroeder lend an authenticity to the affair.
It is ballads that defined Vaughan’s musical approach. She would slow them down, improvise along the way, and allow her voice to do the rest. During the 1980s, “Send In The Clowns” was her concert closer, and here we find it as a work in process. This song would ultimately be extended into a spectacular and intricate performance; here, it is presented in a formative stage, though it still clocks in at six minutes.
The classic “My Funny Valentine” is another song that has a number of ebbs and flows as it travels to a dramatic finish. Throw in the molten “I’ll Remember April,” “Time After Time,” “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good),” and the creative “Sarah’s Blues” and you have a fine representation of Sarah Vaughan at her concert best.
Sarah Vaughan will be honored by the United States postal service on March 29th when a commemorative postage stamp will be issued in her honor. This concert also bears her unique stamp and provides another tribute to her legacy.