1958 · Album
Vaughan And Violins
Recorded 1959 · Mercury Records · Produced by Quincy Jones
Strings and Sophistication: Sarah's Elegant Turn
Sarah Vaughan proves she doesn't need a big band to sound absolutely commanding.
Here's what makes Vaughan and Violins (1959) different from Sarah's usual fare: it strips things way down. Instead of working with a full orchestra, she's got strings arranged around her, which means there's nowhere to hide. You hear every breath, every slight variation in how she shapes a phrase. On tracks like "Misty," the string section creates this cushion of sound, but Sarah floats above it all like she owns the whole thing, which of course she does. Her voice was built for this—rich enough, controlled enough, that intimate arrangements only make her sound more powerful.
This wasn't some experimental departure for her. Sarah had been working with strings throughout her career, but this album finds her at a point where she could really dial in what she wanted. The pacing is deliberate. Nothing feels rushed. You get the sense she's thinking about every note, considering how it lands. The repertoire skews toward standards and ballads—not party music, not bebop vehicles, just beautiful songs given serious attention. There's a maturity here that comes from someone who's already proven everything and is now interested in the sound itself.
Is this her best work? That's debatable, and honestly, it depends what you want from Sarah. If you've already got her classic small-group recordings and want to hear a different side, this is worth tracking down. It's not flashy, and it's not the place to start if you're new to her. But if you know her work and want to hear what happens when a great singer meets a really tasteful string arrangement, Vaughan and Violins delivers exactly that. It's sophisticated without being stuffy, and there's real feeling underneath all that elegance.
Who's playing
Maurice Vanderpiano
Ronnell Brightpiano
Pierre Cullazguitar
William Boucayabaritone saxophone
Jo Hraskobaritone saxophone
Marcel Hraskoalto saxophone
Zoot Simstenor saxophone
Kansas Fieldsdrums
Kenny Clarkedrums
Michel Hausservibraphone
Where next?
More by Sarah Vaughan
All 12 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
