Roulette, the same label that brought the world Jimmie F. Rodgers' "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" and
Joey Dee's "Peppermint Twist," also recorded some wonderful vocal sessions on
Joe Williams,
Dinah Washington, and
Sarah Vaughan. While most of these were dates for ballads and lush strings, they also allowed their artists latitude for a variety of settings. When a
Sarah Vaughan album titled
After Hours sold better than others -- despite featuring only guitar and bass accompaniment -- they replicated the formula for 1962's wonderful
Sarah + 2. Only the personnel changed;
Barney Kessel took over from
Mundell Lowe, while
Joe Comfort stood in for
George Duvivier on bass. The results are excellent, highlighting the power of
Vaughan's voice, whether she's singing a rosy "All I Do Is Dream of You" or one of the most turgid torch songs, "All or Nothing at All." Her best feature is "When Sunny Gets Blue," a spotlight for her dynamic range. ~ John Bush