Queen of bebop : the musical lives of Sarah Vaughan / Elaine M. Hayes

Object Details

Contents
Part I: An artist is born, 1924-1947. "There was no sign of any kind of voice" ; "Ah mon vieux, this chick is groovy!" ; "I'm not singing other people's ideas" ; "The most talked about voice in America" -- Part II: A star is born, 1948-1958. "The girl with the magic voice" ; "She's vaughanderful. She's marvelous" ; "Sarah Vaughan and her Pygmalion" ; "Sarah Vaughan is finally on the way to the pot of gold" ; "The high priestess of jazz" -- Part III: A career is reborn, 1959-1990. "They say you can't teach new tricks to old dogs--so get new dogs!" ; "The no. 1 singer of a decade ago" ; "I'm not a jazz singer. I'm a singer" ; "Here I go again" ; "The Marian Anderson of modern jazz" ; "I'm just coming into my prime" -- Epilogue: "The greatest vocal artist of our century."
Summary
An account of the life of the influential jazz singer and civil rights advocate shares insights into her contributions as an African-American artist, drawing on inside sources to discuss her creative process and challenge misperceptions about her character.
"Queen of Bebop brilliantly chronicles the life of jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the twentieth century and a pioneer of women's and civil rights. Sarah Vaughan, a pivotal figure in the formation of bebop, influenced a broad array of singers who followed in her wake, yet the breadth and depth of her impact--not just as an artist, but also as an African-American woman--remain overlooked. Drawing from a wealth of sources as well as from exclusive interviews with Vaughan's friends and former colleagues, Queen of Bebop unravels the many myths and misunderstandings that have surrounded Vaughan while offering insights into this notoriously private woman, her creative process, and, ultimately, her genius. Hayes deftly traces the influence that Vaughan's singing had on the perception and appreciation of vocalists--and not to mention women--in jazz. She reveals how, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Vaughan helped desegregate American airwaves, opening doors for future African-American artists seeking mainstream success, while also setting the stage for the civil rights activism of the 1960s and 1970s. Hayes follows Vaughan from her hometown of Newark and her first performances at the Apollo, to the Waldorf Astoria and on to the world stage, breathing life into a thrilling time in American music nearly lost to us today. Equal parts biography, criticism, and good old-fashioned American success story, Queen of Bebop is the definitive account of a hugely influential artist. This absorbing and sensitive treatment of a singular personality updates and corrects the historical record on Vaughan and elevates her status as a jazz great."--Jacket.
Data Source
Smithsonian Libraries
Date
2017
author
Hayes, Elaine M.
Subject
Vaughan, Sarah 1924-1990
Type
Biography
Biographies
Physical description
x, 419 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
Place
United States
Topic
Jazz singers
African American women
Record ID
siris_sil_1083960
Usage
CC0