Sarah Vaughan recorded frequently during her three years with Roulette, and all 16 albums she completed for them plus five previously unissued tracks are included in this comprehensive eight-CD boxed set from Mosaic. The gifted singer is heard in a variety of settings, from superb small-group sessions to big-band settings and various dates bordering on easy listening; the sessions omitting the often syrupy string sections are the cream of this bumper crop. It's a joy to hear Vaughan sharing the spotlight with Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra (with its leader sitting out in favor of her regular pianist, Kirk Stuart) in a swinging "Teach Me Tonight" and a playful take of "If I Were a Bell"; it's a shame that they never recorded an entire album together. Benny Carter's big-band charts also bring out the best in Vaughan. With the exception of the forgettable "The Green Leaves of Summer," Billy May's provides the vocalist with very compatible settings. The scaled-down session with guitarist Mundell Lowe and bassist George Duvivier is among her greatest achievements of her career; the singer is relaxed and stimulated by her accompanists. A similar follow-up date with Barney Kessel and Joe Comfort is equally rewarding. The sessions which add strings, led by various musicians (Jimmy Jones, Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin, Joe Reisman, Don Costa, and Marty Manning) serving as both arranger and conductor, vary greatly in quality. Often first-rate (and sometimes somewhat obscure) material is sabotaged by heavy-handed writing awash in strings. But for the most part, Vaughan's gorgeous voice is able to overcome even bland backgrounds. Mosaic remains the pinnacle of reissue labels with this handsome boxed set, which includes detailed liner notes by James Gavin, lots of session photos, and a thorough discography.
