Sarah Vaughan interprets ten
Duke Ellington-associated songs on the first of two sets;
Songbook, Vol. 2 was recorded at the same two sessions as this LP.
Vaughan is accompanied by a variety of jazz all-stars, including trumpeter
Waymon Reed, trombonist
J.J. Johnson, and the tenors of
Frank Foster,
Frank Wess, and
Zoot Sims.
Bill Byers contributed the arrangements for the larger band performances. The emphasis is on ballads, with the highlights including "I'm Just a Lucky So and So," "I Didn't Know About You," "All Too Soon," and "Lush Life."
Vaughan's voice is in typically wondrous form throughout. ~ Scott Yanow