After Hours at the London House

by Sarah Vaughan

Overview

Seven months after Mercury recorded Sarah Vaughan in a live setting for the surprisingly successful At Mr. Kelly's, the label planned another date with the microphones for the night of March 7, 1958. This time, however, instead of setting up at Mr. Kelly's (although she was booked for three shows that night), the producers invited a small group of friends and well-wishers to another Chicago club, London House, for an after-hours session. Vaughan expanded her trio with a quartet of Count Basie titans, including trumpeter Thad Jones and tenor Frank Wess, and as if the settings weren't challenging enough already, decided to record a set that, in true after-hours fashion, was completely improvised. (The cover photo even shows her studying a sheet as she sings.) Although the results are certainly far looser and more relaxed than a studio date, Vaughan and the instrumentalists don't shine as expected. Vaughan in particular plays it safe with this material, drawing out her cozy ballads with interpretive ease, but never taking them as far as she could in a more stable setting. The format breaks down completely on the final song, "Thanks for the Memory," when Vaughan misreads a lyric, puzzles over it for a few seconds, restarts the number, flubs it again, starts over one more time, and finally wraps up after seven minutes by declaring the session -- while still singing, of course -- "the most craziest, upsettin', down-sided recording date I ever had in my life." ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	12/01/2023
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988031592434
Rank:	79814

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sarah Vaughan   Primary Artist,Vocals
Roy Haynes   Drums
Ronnell Bright   Piano
Frank Wess   Sax (Tenor)
Henry Coker   Trombone
Thad Jones   Trumpet
Wendell Culley   Trumpet
Richard Davis   Bass

Technical Credits

Jack Tracy   Audio Production,Liner Notes,Supervisor
David Carroll   Audio Production,Producer,Supervisor
James Van Heusen   Composer
Bryan Koniarz   Reissue Producer
Malcolm Chisholm   Engineer
Herb Ellis   Composer
Kurt Weill   Composer
Harry Ruby   Composer
Bert Kalmar   Composer
Ken Druker   Executive Producer
Al Dubin   Composer
Lou Carter   Composer
Johnny Frigo   Composer
Leo Robin   Composer
Harry Warren   Composer
Johnny Burke   Composer
Jayme Pieruzzi   Reissue Mastering
Hollis King   Reissue Art Director
Don Bronstein   Cover Photo
John Frigo   Composer
Ogden Nash   Composer
Bob Irwin   Reissue Mastering
Cole Porter   Composer
Ralph Rainger   Composer