RIP, Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990)

Sarah Vaughan, "The Diving One," died on April 3, 1990, in Hidden Hills, California, of lung cancer. She was 66 years old. Vaughan's funeral was held at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, the same congregation she grew up in, and following the ceremony, a horse-drawn carriage transported her body to its final resting place in Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Critic Scott Yanow says that Vaughan possessed "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century" and that she "ranked with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday in the very top echelon of female jazz singers."

In his 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends the album, Sarah Vaughan and Count Basie (Roulette). Unfortunately, that album is not available in CD or MP3 format, and Jim Determan recommends instead:

• Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (Polygram), available at Amazon.com
  
• No Count Sarah (Mercury/Polygram), available at Amazon.com
  

Determan adds that the two albums "may be better first choices for Vaughan. ... [Lyons] mentions these as two of Vaughan's best albums, both were out of print at the time, but are available on CD now. The first is small group sessions and was Vaughan's personal favorite, the second is an earlier collaboration with a group from the Basie band (again without the Count). Either would make an excellent first purchase of Vaughan."

Vaughan's song, "If You Could See Me Now," was honored with a special Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998. She sings that song here:

Robert
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