BEST OF/20TH CENTURY

Personnel: Sarah Vaughan (vocals); Hal Mooney & His Orchestra, Hugo Perretti & His Orchestra, Ray Ellis & His Orchestra. Liner Note Author: David Ritz. Photographers: Duncan P. Schiedt; John Miner; Chuck Stewart. Arrangers: Quincy Jones; Luchi de Jesus; Robert Farnon . Debates may rage over who is the better female jazz vocalist--Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald--but Sarah Vaughan's reputation as one of the finest pair of pipes in the genre's history sails on untouched. In fact, Vaughan combined the lush, warm timbre and technical expertise of Fitzgerald with the passion and distinctive phrasing of Holiday to become, arguably, the more complete singer in the triumvirate. These qualities are represented on this MILLENNIUM COLLECTION of Vaughn's Mercury recordings. (Her tenure at Mercury lasted through the 1950s and '60s when she was--as these sessions indicate--in top voice). Though some of Vaughan's finest work was with small groups, her adaptability was such that she shone in any setting. Many of Vaughan's Mercury albums were crossover hits that featured the vocalist performing with a full orchestra, choral backing, and sweet, ballroom-friendly arrangements. THE MILLENNIUM COLLECTION draws on this work, and focuses mainly on Vaughan's excellent--at times, definitive--treatment of standards like "Misty," "A Foggy Day," and "Someone to Watch Over Me." Though not a career overview by any stretch, this compilation finds the singer's superior jazz talent sparkling in this mainstream context.