Recording history and tape provenance
Vaughan and Brown had reportedly discussed recording together for nearly three years. By the time the sessions happened both were on the same label, with Vaughan recording pop material for Mercury and jazz for its EmArcy subsidiary.
Brown, Quinichette and Mann do not appear on the album's best-known track. Vaughan performs "Embraceable You" with the rhythm section alone.
This was the only studio meeting between Vaughan and Brown. He died in a car accident in June 1956, at 25.
A reissue that does not exist
One source claims a 2019 Analogue Productions 45rpm reissue of this album, mastered by Kevin Gray. That claim does not survive a check against Analogue Productions' own catalogue.
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 are Pablo-label recordings from the 1980s, not this 1954 EmArcy session.
No Analogue Productions catalogue number for this title appears anywhere in that discography. A seller offering one is describing something else.
Original EmArcy pressings (1955)
EmArcy MG-36004 on the blue and silver drummer label is the first pressing. Owner reviews describe a forward, full and immediate sound typical of good mid-1950s EmArcy engineering.
Clean copies are hard to find. A well-loved vocal record of this age tends to have been played rather than shelved, so condition varies more than the label variant does.
Verve Acoustic Sounds Series
The Acoustic Sounds edition was cut by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog tapes. The "STERLING" etching in the runout confirms it. It is pressed on 180g at Quality Record Pressings, in a Stoughton gatefold tip-on jacket.
Stereophile rated this edition 5 out of 5 for performance and 3.5 for sonics. One retailer review states it sounds markedly better than the original pressing.
One owner report describes an abrupt cutoff at the end of "It's Crazy," as though the needle had been lifted early. Whether that is in the source tape or specific to some copies is unresolved.
Japanese and European reissues
A 1983 Mercury/EmArcy Japanese pressing is well regarded by collectors for cleanliness and detail. No mastering credit for it has been confirmed.
Various later European Direct Metal Mastering imports exist, on black vinyl and on blue and purple coloured variants. None carries a confirmed mastering credit, so coloured vinyl and import packaging should not be read as audiophile production.
One Discogs reviewer of a 2019 Waxtime reissue calls it a mixed bag for collectors, audiophiles and casual listeners. It is marketed as a cheaper alternative to an original. Its entry sits on the Discogs master.
Buyer's guide by budget
$$: A 1983 Mercury/EmArcy Japanese pressing, or a standard modern reissue with its mastering credit checked rather than assumed.
$$$: The Verve Acoustic Sounds Series edition, with a confirmed mastering credit and solid production.
$$$$: A clean EmArcy MG-36004 original, priced on condition.
Pressing tier summary
| Tier ⇅ | Pressing | Cat# | Year ⇅ | Format | Source / Mastering | Notes | Market ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | EmArcy original | MG-36004 | 1955 | Mono, 33⅓ | EmArcy lacquer | First pressing. Blue and silver drummer label | $410VG+ $536NM $599M |
| A | Verve Acoustic Sounds Series | – | 2020 | Mono, 33⅓, 180g | Ryan K. Smith, Sterling Sound, confirmed by the runout. Pressed at QRP | Stoughton gatefold tip-on. Stereophile 5/5 performance, 3.5/5 sonics | $65VG+ $85NM $95M |
| B | Mercury/EmArcy (Japan) | – | 1983 | Mono, 33⅓ | Not credited | Well regarded by collectors for cleanliness and detail | – |
| C | Waxtime reissue | – | 2019 | Mono, 33⅓ | Not credited | One owner review calls it a mixed bag against its budget-alternative marketing | – |
| – | European DMM imports | – | Various | Mono, 33⅓ | Not credited | Not rated. Black, blue and purple vinyl variants documented | – |
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/