Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown

Recording history and tape provenance

Vaughan and Brown had reportedly discussed recording together for nearly three years before the sessions finally happened; by the time they did, both were on the same label (Vaughan recording pop material for Mercury and jazz for its EmArcy subsidiary, Brown established as one of the most talked-about young trumpeters in jazz), and the timing finally worked. The band also includes Herbie Mann on flute, Paul Quinichette on tenor sax, Jimmy Jones on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – though notably, none of Brown, Quinichette, or Mann appear on the album's most celebrated track, "Embraceable You," which Vaughan performs with just the rhythm section. This was the only studio collaboration between Vaughan and Brown; he died in a car accident less than two years later, in June 1956, at age 25. AllMusic's John Bush called it, in whichever incarnation it's reissued, "one of the most important jazz-meets-vocal sessions ever recorded," and Vaughan herself reportedly named it her own favorite among her recordings through at least 1980. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

One source found during research for this guide claimed a 2019 Analogue Productions 45rpm reissue, mastered by Kevin Gray, exists for this specific album. That claim did not survive a cross-check against Analogue Productions' own comprehensive release catalog: their confirmed Sarah Vaughan titles are APJ 191 (Crazy and Mixed Up) and APJ 196 (Send in the Clowns, with the Count Basie Orchestra) – both later Pablo-label recordings from the 1980s, not this 1954 EmArcy session. No AP catalog number for Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown turned up anywhere in that discography. Rather than repeat an uncorroborated, likely-incorrect claim, this guide treats the real audiophile-tier reissue of this title as the confirmed Verve Acoustic Sounds Series edition described below, sourced directly from Acoustic Sounds' own product listing.

Separately, one Discogs reviewer of a 2019 Waxtime reissue of this title specifically flagged it as "a mixed bag for discerning collectors, audiophiles, and casual listeners" despite being marketed as an affordable alternative to pricier originals – worth knowing if you come across that specific edition and are expecting audiophile-grade sound at a budget price.

Sound quality by pressing

The EmArcy MG-36004 (1955 original) is the true first pressing, on the blue and silver "drummer" label design. Owner reviews describe a forward, full, and immediate sound characteristic of good mid-1950s EmArcy engineering, though clean copies are reportedly hard to find given how frequently a beloved vocal record like this one tends to get played rather than shelved.

The Verve Acoustic Sounds Series edition is mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog tapes (confirmed via the runout etching itself, which reads "STERLING"), pressed at Quality Record Pressings on 180-gram vinyl, packaged by Stoughton Printing in a gatefold tip-on jacket. Stereophile rated it 5 out of 5 for performance and 3.5 out of 5 for sonics, and one retailer review states plainly that the reissue "sounds markedly better than the original pressing." One recurring owner report worth flagging: at least one reviewer describes a very abrupt cutoff at the end of "It's Crazy," as if the needle had been lifted early – possibly a pressing-specific issue, possibly baked into the source tape, not confirmed as affecting every copy of this release.

A 1983 Mercury/EmArcy Japanese pressing is generally well regarded by collectors for cleanliness and detail. Various later European DMM (Direct Metal Mastering) imports exist on both standard black and colored vinyl (blue and purple variants have both been documented); treat any specific claim about these as unconfirmed absent a specific mastering credit, and see above on the 2019 Waxtime edition's mixed reception specifically.

Buyer's guide by budget

$$: A later Mercury/EmArcy Japanese pressing (1983) or a standard modern reissue, budget permitting – verify specific mastering claims rather than assuming any colored-vinyl import is audiophile-grade.

$$$: The Verve Acoustic Sounds Series edition – confirmed mastering credit, solid production values.

$$$$: A clean EmArcy MG-36004 1955 original, condition-dependent – rare and often expensive given how well-loved this record has always been.

Pressing tier summary

References

• Discogs (master, all versions): https://www.discogs.com/master/229892
• Wikipedia, "Sarah Vaughan (1955 album)": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Vaughan_(1955_album)
• Jazz History Online, "Sarah Vaughan featuring Clifford Brown": https://jazzhistoryonline.com/sarah-vaughan/

Related guides: Clifford Brown & Max Roach · Study in Brown