Sarah Vaughan's Music Analysis

Vaughan’s style is very virtuosic. She began her career with an already large range and well-toned voice, but unlike her peers, her vocal diversity grew as she aged. Her quick and prominent slow vibrato was almost operatic in its quality, milking each and every note. (Gridley) Sarah Vaughan had many popular tunes, but her most well-known are "Misty", "Broken-Hearted Melody", and “Send in the Clowns”. "Misty", one of Vaughan's most famous works, was recorded in 1957. It is a song about blind love, even if her man is leading her on she doesn’t care because she still gets to love him for that short while. This piece is originally a duet but because of her large range and control, she would sing both parts. According to the NY Times, Vaughan

She puts passion and talent into her work that is unsurpassed in my opinion. However, “Misty” by Vaughan is one of my favorite works of hers. It is a perfect example of her slow vibrato and the amount of passion she puts in each of her works. This piece also shows her humorous side as the second repetition of the song is sung in a lower register mimicking a man. It is captivating to watch as she changes her very mannerisms becoming the male counterpart to this song. “Broken-Hearted melody” by Vaughan is an upbeat piece that details a story of lost love. She is trying to forget about her past love but something keeps reminding her of him. The meaning of the song completely contrasts the music. The message of this song is heartbreak, but the music reflect a happier tone making this a piece that shouldn’t make sense, yet it does and quite well too. Based in a shoo-wop style, this is definitely more of a pop tune for her. This is a piece that you would want to swing dance to or hum in the car, and I found it stuck in my head all day. “Send in The Clowns,” is a directly compelling piece. Filled with a number of key changes and builds that had me wanting to play it over and over again. Like “Broken-Hearted Melody ,“ it’s subject should not match its melody. Clowns are primarily associated with positive imagery. However, in this song you can feel the sadness behind her voice, like an era is coming to an end and she will come to an end with it. The raises in her voice on words like fear and year at the end are what make this song so excellent. Finally, in the last verse the accompaniment drops out and you are left with only her voice improvising the notes and adding beautiful little runs. All of this together made a beautiful sound and altogether a wonderful