Sarah Vaughan possesses some of the finest pipes of any jazz singer ever. Her luxurious, full-throated voice has operatic qualities that she exploits, rather than disguises, by indulging her yen for vibrato-laden swoops from the lowest to highest notes. Her virtuosity serves to highlight the inherent qualities in a wide range of songs. On this two-CD set, Vaughan moves from dreamy classics like "Star Eyes" and "Body and Soul" to the gospel-influenced "Lord"s Prayer" and "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" to swinging numbers like "It Might as Well Be Spring" and "What a Difference a Day Makes." And despite the uneven sound quality on this set, Vaughan forces you to listen anew. Many a singer has tried to emulate Sarah Vaughan and failed, putting too much emphasis on the filigree and not enough on the substance. As this set proves--without any session information and the bumpy sound--Vaughan had the voice and attitude to put substance into anything. These two discs only serve to highlight her formidable talents. --Wally Shoup