After Hours At The London House - Sarah Vaughan

 

Thanks For The Memory

After Hours At The London House

Sarah Vaughan

Supervision: David Carroll and Jack Tracy

Cover Photo: Don Bronstein

Design: Emmett McBain

Carmen Cavallaro's introduction courtesy Decca Records

Mercury Records STEREO Hi-Fi SR 60020 & MG 20383

Recorded March 7, 1958 at the London House, Chicago.

Recorded by Universal Recording Corp,. Malcolm Chisolm, engineer. Microphones used included: voice (Telefunken U-47); piano (RCA 77 DX), bass (Fentone B&O ribbon); drums (Shure 556 S); solo horns (Fentone B&O ribbon). The entire session was taped at 30 its (inches per second) on a specially-adapted Ampex 350-2 tape recorder.

From the back cover: It began at 2:30 a.m. at Chicago's London House before a specially-invited audience of prominent entertainers who had finished their shows, disc jockeys, newspaper columnists, and other assorted night people.

Sarah already had done three shows that night at Mister Kelly's and was rushed hurriedly to the London House for the session. Carmen Cavalloro, whose trio was working at the club, graciously turned the bandstand over to Sassy and the session was on.

Pandemonium reigned. And rained.

Professional courtesy unfortunately was forgotten by more than a few of the professionals in attendance. Flashbulbs popped continuously as representatives of Life magazine covering the event shot pictures as if they were going out of style, and photogs from Mercury and the London House, not to be outdone, matched'em shot for shot.

The bandstand, built to accommodate three or four musicians, bulged with microphones, Sarah, her trio, and guest sitters-in Thad Jones, Henry Coker, Frank Wess, and Wendell Culley. It looked not unlike a traffic jam in a telephone booth.

Thought it all Sarah maintained a composure and simple dignity that stood out in stark contrast to the tumult all about her. In just two hours the album was complete. Only on the final Thanks For The Memory was more than one take needed, and so delightful were the fluffs she made on it ("I got hung with a word,") both false starts have been included.

The session was completely improvised, as Sarah came equipped with only a bundle or sheet music, her great sense of musicianship, and, as she so simply stated it, "Faith."

But this is the sort of musical element in which Sassy shines. The backgrounds are almost floppy-loose and non-constricting. The musician she chose from Count Basie's band to work with were just right – Frank Wess, with his thick, warm sound and unerring sense of whaat and when to play; Thad Jones, whose brief solos are highlights; Henry Coker, who plays simply and without pretense, and Wendell Culley, whose muted obligatos and moody solo on Thanks For The Memory provided comforting surroundings.

Her own trio with Ronnell Bright on piano, the gifted Richard Davis, bass and incisive Roy Haynes on drums, offered a knowing core that bent to every musical whim of Sarah's.

Like Someone In Love

Detour Ahead

Three Little Words

I'll String Along With You

You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To 

Speak Low

All Of You

Thanks For The Memory