Misty

I'd frequently heard from people knowledgeable about music that Sarah Vaughan was one of the great jazz singers but I never warmed up to her, finding most of her recordings overproduced and not caring for the arrangements.  Then I ran across her 1964 concert in Sweden and this rendition of Misty (written by Errol Garner).  The only version I knew was the smash hit by Johnny Mathis, which I thought mushy.  But this is a whole different thing.  What a voice!  And what phrasing.  It sounds completely different from the Mathis version and it's gorgeous.

Particularly remarkable because Sarah starts out complaining of a cold and is sweating throughout the performance, from a fever or bright stage lights or both.

Just the thing for a late night listen.