As one of the few
Sarah Vaughan compilations to make it onto the shelves of most music stores (until it too is supplanted), MCA's
20th Century Masters collection has large shoes to fill. Since MCA owns the Mercury catalog -- for which she recorded during the '50s and '60s -- listeners shouldn't worry that they're purchasing substandard material. Still, the compilation doesn't present a complete picture of what made
Vaughan special; it focuses on the big-time standards that found
Vaughan backed by pillowy productions (half of the selections come from the crossover dates
Vaughan With Voices and
Vaughan and Violins). Like
Billie Holiday and
Ella Fitzgerald, the other two in the triumvirate of female jazz vocalists,
Sarah Vaughan sparkled in any setting, and she brought the highest level of artistry and interpretive grace to the most sublime standards. Surprisingly, even the liner notes are exemplary, including
Sarah Vaughan reminiscences shared with
David Ritz by
Little Jimmy Scott,
Carmen McRae, and
Andy Bey. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide