Sarah Vaughan - Make Yourself Comfortable

On this day September 24, 1954 Sarah Vaughan recorded "Make Yourself Comfortable."
 















 

Make Yourself Comfortable is a song written by American Bob Merrill released in 1954 reaching #6 in the US charts in 1955. It's both brazen and sassy, something which Vaughan can pull off in elegant style while still leaving the listener with a raised eyebrow. This is a woman on a mission. She has planned her romantic encounter down to the last detail and is not leaving anything to chance. This was pretty bold for the time; reputable women just didn't behave like that back then! I love the dual vocal parts during the chorus - two perfectly formed harmonies which also independently stand up for themselves. 

Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century." Sarah got her start as a child singing in her church choir. In 1942 she was thurst into the spotlight after a winning performance at Amateur Night at the famed Apollo Theatre, and by the mid-1940's was appearing on television. Soon given the moniker, "Sassy," Vaughan showed off her impressive three octave range, and quickly became regarded as one of the greatest jazz singers of all time. She was a Grammy Award Winner. The National Endowment for the Arts bestowed upon her its "highest honor in jazz", the NEA Jazz Masters Award, in 1989. She was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame in 1990. the same year she died. (Info various)