Make Yourself Comfortable - Sarah Vaughan

A few years ago, I went through a phase of exploring the great female jazz singers. This was initially kicked off by the Lady Sings the Blues compilations released around 2004 but led me to uncover some absolute gems and my CD began to grow substantially. I converged on a few favourite artists and completely fell in love with the smooth, sophisticated sound of Sarah Vaughan.

Make Yourself Comfortable was released in 1954. 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. Mmmmm ...