SARAH VAUGHAN’S ILLUSTRATION OF THE SWING SONG TRADITION IN HER RECORDINGS OF MAY 18 & 19, 1950 AND THE ADDITION OF ALTERNATE TAKES WITH THE 1997 CD EXPANDED EDITION OF “SARAH VAUGHAN IN HI-FI”

12/23/2020

I did research, restoration, remastering, album notes, and producing for SonyMusic when its Legacy/Columbia Records productions did not yet include the vast catalog of {RCA} Victor Records. I am still quite proud of my work in expanding the known music and the sound quality for Sarah Vaughan’s foray into the Swing Song Tradition as showcased in her Columbia Records tracks done on May 18 & 19, 1950. The instrumentalists are featured. One of them – MILES DAVIS – is still a star. The original issue of the tunes (in just the master takes) did not acknowledge Miles. Sarah Vaughan’s then husband and manager, George Treadwell, was a trumpeter. The album, “Sarah Vaughan”, issued by Columbia Records on the earlier sized vinyl that were 10” in diameter, Columbia CL 6133, had Treadwell in the credits but not Davis. The implication was that George Treadwell was the trumpeter. [There is some confusion concerning 78RPM single releases to these master takes. They were issued on Columbia 78RPM 38896 through Columbia 78RPM 38899 inclusive. They are miss-numbered in some discographies with a ‘9’ mistakenly in place of the second ‘8’. These 78RPM discs as well as parallel pressings on 45RPM were issued in album form under the catalog number 211 with a ‘C’ for the 78 version and a ‘B’ for the 45 edition. THE TEN INCH LP “SARAH VAUGHAN”, COLUMBIA RECORDS CL 6133 WAS THE PRIMARY FIRST RELEASE OF THIS MATERIAL. The 78s and 45s are not commonly known and were secondary versions.] By the mid-1950s, when the better remembered 12” Lp had become the norm, the master takes were reissued as part of “Sarah Vaughan in Hi-Fi” on Columbia CL 745. This time Treadwell’s name was omitted and Miles Davis was listed. In the mid-1990s, I produced an expanded edition of “Sarah Vaughan in Hi-Fi” that was released in 1997 on CD with the Columbia/Legacy catalog number CK 65117. Today, the CD, when found, carries – I believe – these identifying numbers: UPC 0074646511725 / ePID 3067274. That CD incorporated all elements to the additional Sarah Vaughan material added to her Swing Song Tradition sessions of May 18 & 19, 1950 that combined became the album “Sarah Vaughan in Hi-Fi”. But THE highlight to the expanded edition CD release of “Sarah Vaughan in Hi-Fi” were the alternate takes that I had discovered and had issued on Columbia/Legacy CK65117. At SonyMusic/Columbia-Legacy, I introduced a true take numbering system, revealing the actual order of recording and attempting to override Columbia Records master numbers that were wrong or misled. [At least some editions (all?) of the late 1960s 12” Lp release “The New York Scene In The 40’s: From Be-Bop To Cool”, first issued in France as part of the “Aimez-vous Le Jazz?” series under the catalog number 65392, contain the alternate take (43829-1) of “Mean To Me”. This rare first issue is not acknowledged on the album and might not have been realized by the Lp’s creators.] SARAH VAUGHAN ACC. BY GEORGE TREADWELL & HIS ALLSTARS NYC. May 18, 1950 Personnel: Miles Davis (tp), Bennie Green (tb), Tony Scott (cl), Budd Johnson (ts), Jimmy Jones (p), Freddie Green (g), Billy Taylor Jr. (b), J. C. Heard (dm), Sarah Vaughan (vo). Four titles were recorded: 43825-1 Ain’t Misbehavin’ (alt) / 43825-2 Ain’t Misbehavin’ (MST) 43826-3 Goodnight My Love (alt) / 43826-5 Goodnight My Love (MST) 43827-4 Can’t Get Out Of This Mood (alt) / 43827-6 Can’t Get Out Of This Mood (MST) 43828-1 It Might As Well Be Spring (alt) / 43828-4 It Might As Well Be Spring (MST) SARAH VAUGHAN ACC. BY GEORGE TREADWELL & HIS ALLSTARS NYC. May 19, 1950 Personnel: Miles Davis (tp), Bennie Green (tb), Tony Scott (cl), Budd Johnson (ts), Jimmy Jones (p), MUNDELL LOWE replaces Green (g), Billy Taylor Jr. (b), J. C. Heard (dm), Sarah Vaughan (vo). Four titles were recorded: 43829-1 Mean To Me (alt) / 43829-2 Mean To Me (MST) 43830-1 Come Rain Or Come Shine (MST) / 43830-4 Come Rain Or Come Shine (alt) 43831-4 Nice Work If You Can Get It (MST) 43832-3 East Of The Sun (alt) / 43832-5 East Of The Sun (MST)