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 ...

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong has to be one of the most beautiful songs of all time and instantly brings a smile to my face. The perfection is in its simplicity along with the pure optimism of the lyrics. 1968 was a time of political unrest and a cultural revolution; this song reminds us to bring everything back to basics by celebrating the simplest things in life.

This live version captures all of the essence from Armstrong's original recording with some extra flair provided by the piano and horn section (in place of the string orchestration). It is a monumental way to cap off Armstrong's extensive musical career and a wonderful tribute to his overall contribution to music.

Breezin' - George Benson

My iPod selected Breezin' as background music for my lunch time walk yesterday. It was a great choice; I enjoyed it three times in a row before returning to my desk. This instrumental is from the album of the same name and released in 1976 by jazz guitarist George Benson. It is pure listening pleasure as the main theme cycles over and over, with each iteration adding a tiny variation, an embellishment or a full on guitar jam.

Breezin' was naturally one of many highlights of George Benson's concert in Wellington a few years ago, and he pretty much played it note perfect. It's hard to tell what comes first with Benson's improvisations: vocals or guitar lines. His style of singing along to the improvised solos he plays shows that a guitar is as much a natural extension of Benson himself as his voice. It was absolutely delightful to see and hear all this from our seats just six rows away from the stage. It was even better when Benson introduced Stanley Banks, the original bass player from Breezin' who had been playing with Benson since the 1970s and is still a member of his backing band today.