At Mister Kelly's

One of the purest voices ever. Beautiful

Sarah at her best.

Historically against the live album. But this exercise is turning me around. Yeah, I’ll say I am doing a 180. I loved this! And it reminded me that what broke Jeff Buckley open for me was the Live at Sin-e recording. In the intimate setting you really get a sense of him as a person, his humor, how much they loved him at that venue. It’s the same here with Vaughan. She’s got such humor and aplomb. And I was reminded that often, the best moments in jazz are of the moment, the single take, the improvised response. It’s something miraculous about recording technology that we take for granted. That we can capture a single moment in time and study it infinitely in future time. 5 Boolean: True, this is what I am here for, showing up every day

Sarah Vaughan’s At Mister Kelly’s was a welcome palate cleanser after yesterday’s prog-rock archaeology. No conceptual framework, no attempt to redraw the map of popular music, no twenty-minute suites. Just a singer, a trio and a room. The obvious headline is the voice. It would be difficult for it not to be. Vaughan possesses that rare level of technical command where the mechanics become almost invisible. The vibrato is astonishingly well judged, the diction immaculate, and the range so secure that she can casually drop octave leaps into a phrase without drawing attention to them. What becomes clear very quickly, though, is that technique is not really the point. The deeper pleasure of the album is watching Vaughan make decisions. On Just One of Those Things, she treats the melody as a framework for improvisation. The song is so well known that part of the performance becomes a conversation with the audience’s expectations. By contrast, Be Anything, But Darling Be Mine is far more grounded in the lyric. It is a relatively straightforward performance and all the more compelling for it. Vaughan’s facility is so complete that she no longer needs to demonstrate it. She can simply inhabit the song. The emotional centre of the album arrives with Stairway to the Stars. There are moments here that are genuinely startling. A brief riff at the start of a stanza serves as a reminder that she could dismantle the melody at any moment if she chose. Then she returns to discipline. Later, a repeated phrase becomes an opportunity for embellishment, and on the second pass she produces a piece of improvisation so audacious that it momentarily redefines the song. What impressed me was not the daring itself but the judgement. She always returns to the song’s emotional centre. The freedom never becomes self-indulgence. That balance runs throughout the album. Vaughan serves the song and makes the song serve her simultaneously. She inhabits the lyric while commenting on it. She is inside the performance and somehow outside it as well, aware of the room, the audience and the very act of singing. The live setting is crucial. During Willow Weep for Me there is an audible thump, followed by audience laughter. Vaughan instantly folds the mishap into the performance, joking that she has “fouled up this song real well” before later adding, “They’ll prob’ly use that one.” They did. Thank goodness. The incident reveals the person behind the voice and confirms that this is not a recital but an event. The trio are magnificent throughout. Jimmy Jones, Richard Davis and Roy Haynes are so light on their feet that they almost disappear. They provide exactly the right environment for Vaughan’s style of singing: supportive without being restrictive, responsive without becoming busy. The result is a remarkable sense of ease. One of the most interesting moments comes during Honeysuckle Rose. Vaughan seems to borrow something of Fats Waller’s swagger. Not the specifics of his performance, but the stance. Waller has a habit of elbowing his way into a song and occupying it. Vaughan does something similar, all while remaining faithful to the tune’s essential feel. It is a reminder that great performers are not merely interpreters. They are presences. The album closes, appropriately, with Just a Gigolo. Vaughan treats it less as a standard and more as a statement. Even when she departs from the melody and improvises, the seriousness remains intact. The final, gradual slowing of the tempo is masterful. Not dramatic. Not sentimental. Simply controlled. The song comes to rest exactly when she decides it should. My edition included How High the Moon as a bonus track, and it provides a perfect coda. Vaughan jokes about not knowing the words, references Ella Fitzgerald, and then launches into a scat performance that reveals what she has been quietly setting up all evening. It is playful, mischievous and joyous. For a few minutes she seems to step into Ella’s territory, not as an act of imitation but as a demonstration that she understands the language completely. A thought occurred to me while listening. Ray Davies once observed that every band of the 1960s needed an act, except The Beatles. They were simply allowed to be themselves. Vaughan feels similar. Most singers build a persona. Vaughan seems to contain several. She can be witty, romantic, playful, serious, technically dazzling and emotionally direct, often within the same song. None of it feels like an act. It all feels like Sarah Vaughan. By the end, the most impressive thing is not the voice, remarkable though it is. It is the sense of a complete artist at work. Someone with enough mastery to stop thinking about mastery and start thinking about meaning.

After this, my average score on this platform will significantly drop. I've been trying to find something positive in all these mediocre britpoppers, conceptual space rock hippies, and indie fartrockers, but nope, no more, thank you, 1 star it is.

This is fantastic!

Sarah Vaughn is so damn cool on this album. Listen to it 70 years after the recording and you’ll get 1% cooler just through osmosis. It’s great.

No. 206 I had never heard of Sarah Vaughan before this. Her voice sounds so inviting, and her vibrato is incredible. It's so warm and enticing that it makes one feel like they're in the room with her as she's singing. I'll definitely have to look into her other work at some point.

Ah loved it. It felt rich, complex and so elegant! Flowed through my ears like champagne🥹🥹 While listening to it, I imagined myself as a young socialite in the roaring twenties – or fifties New York! Again, just loved it

Perfekt live-album.

Very good vocal jazz album. Has a very relaxed feeling and even at sometimes funny.

I'm aware of Sarah Vaughan, but haven't listened to much of her stuff. And this is my first time listening to this album start-to-finish. I like jazz, but usually don't enjoy vocal jazz. This happens to be excellent vocal jazz though. I'll be adding this to my list of albums to listen to again.

What a voice!

Legendary. If there was a Mount Rushmore of jazz singers, Sarah Vaughn would have to be on it. This live recording starts with an announcement that it is being recorded and that Sarah Vaughn will be using lyric sheets. But then on Willow Weep for Me she sings that she has just messed up the song but is still singing because the audience expects her to. And on How High The Moon she sings about the fact that she doesn’t know the song but is going to try to sing it the way Ella sings it - so meta - so charming- so unbelievably good. 11/10

Sarah Vaughan is an icon, a paragon, a titan in her field. I have never been more than lukewarm about jazz vocals. What will land on the ground? The cat's paws or the buttered toast strapped to its back? It is altogether charming when she starts singing "I fouled up this song" on Willow Weep for Me. I really like the music on Just One of Those Things. She elevates that David Lee Roth song Just a Gigolo to new heights of sophistication. Big improvement. Graceful, elegant ... ultimately, though, also an example of my feeling that this genre just isn't that exciting. I esteem it, but don't want to listen to it particularly. Buttered toast sticks the landing!

It had me wishing for more. I went through a Sarah Vaughn phase in college. Now I'm wondering why it was just a phase. Definitely putting her in regular rotation. It was a perfect album to listen to during yesterday's storm.

Какое же мощное удовольствие я получил слушая этот альбом. Альбом-настроение. Ты сидишь в прокуренном, уютном кабаке где-то в Чикаго, с тихо наигрывающем джаз-квартетом в углу. Обычно мышление при прослушивание альбомов такое: "в целом альбом неплохой, мне понравилась песня а, песня б, а вот песня в не очень ..." Здесь таких мыслей ВООБЩЕ нет. Для меня "песня" длилась ровно 35 минут. Выделить что-то одно невозможно. И оторваться было сложно. Нежный голос Сары Воан напевает так, будто ты слушаешь свою молодую маму, которая напевает что-то, пока причёсывается в ванной. Замечательно.

What can I say I'm a sucker for jazz standards.

The live performance aspect to this album really added

So velvety bouncing off my ear drums.

Great vocal performance and great playing... They had fun and you can feel it.

did not expect to like this so much. has a really good vibe

Her voice is so smooth and beautiful, such huge range.

So great. Her voice is perfection.

Sarah Vaughan is one of the classic blues and jazz voices. She doesn't seem to have all the improvisational bells and whistles of Ella Fitzgerald, but her tone and style are magnificent. This ablum is a live album giving the ambience of the place. I love 50s announcers who have pretty formal sounding vocal style even for a comparably low-brow performance . No "Wassup Chicago!" here. I also love the clinks and clanks and conversations in the background. Sarah Vaughn also seems completely at ease. She improvises and joyfully messes up and seems to be having an all around good time. This album also has a lot of jazz standards, at least to my ear. It's a good thing to listen to across from Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and the rest who were covering these tunes and improvising over them. This is my second time through this album and it's gotten even better.

Its definitly lit, yet not quite my taste because jazz isnt really my thing for an eveyrday basis, but its quite something, really.

She is the goat. I have fallen in love with the divine Sarah Vaughan.

Misty indeed

Jazz. Linda voz femenina. Buen ritmo

I am a Mercury recoding artist? Anyways I LOVED this album. Her voice is so smooth and gorgeous and UGHHHH SO GOOD. The live part of this album really made me feel like I was in the room with her too, and its so fun hearing her improvise. I listened to this album while doing some cleaning and it made me feel like I am cleaning up a mega mansion with marble statues and tall delicately carved pillars (I am cleaning a tiny little suite in a shared apartment)

мне понравилось. уютно. под первый снег (в конце апреля😋🤑🥲) самое то.

love the vibe and the songs. it's a great album. and makes me miss pre cell phone days in concerts where everyone is "in the moment".

Real cool like listening to this. Real cool, must’ve been a nice time to be alive.

I loved this one. I’ve always wanted to be a jazz fan, and this feels like what I’ve always imagined jazz is. I’ve also never listened to a live album before, and it really felt like I was there. 5/5

Beautiful voice, I loved it!

an interesting album

It’s a very intimate album—you can really feel the small club atmosphere throughout. Sarah Vaughan’s voice sounds incredibly warm and controlled, and her phrasing adds a lot of personality to each track. The band’s relaxed swing complements her perfectly, creating a smooth, immersive listening experience. Definitely a great album to sit with and enjoy.

Ikke et mesterværk som jeg normalt vil forstå ordet, men der er så meget det går op i en højere enhed for mig her, at det kommer møj tæt på. Musikken og stemmen er fantastisk; fedt at få i hende væk fra big band swing-setup'et, og jeg ER virkelig til stede på den lille jazz bar i 50’erne på en måde, som ikke meget andet musik har formået at transcendere en stemning og en æra på tværs af tid og rum. Imponerende. Findes der bedre jazz albums? Jeps. Kan den her genre, i det her format, på det her tidspunkt gøres meget bedre. Ikke meget

Me gustó, más que nada cuando estoy chill maquillándome o viendo pinterest

Me recordó a bjork y es que creo que ella toma muchas influencias… se me hizo interes No mi mood pero si algo lindo por escuchar

love it! What a vibe - the beginning is rather slow and vibey; it's a live recording session and so fun. Willow weep for me!!

Muito bom, gostei de descobrir

moving, interconnected. A moment captured in time of beauty where the community is never shown more strongly than within a joint setting.

"Sassy is so good now that when I listen to her, I want to cut my wrists with a dull razor."- Frank Sinatra

Day819 - her voice is amazing and her improvisations make this a fun album.

If peaceful rainy mornings were an album

Si si siiii... disco del carajo, a parte en vivo. Mucho jazz, blues, con una voz bien profunda, con sensualidad. Recomendable 100% para el año que es, el sonido que tiene, no tiene precio.

очень кайф

«The only difference tonight is that miss Vaughan will be performing with lyric sheets» *miss Vaughan says "the song is supposed to end now, but apparently not" and then do-deee-does her way through the rest* Perfekt album, perfekt dame, æ elske alt.

Great live recording!

This was absolutely beautiful. A chill album with soulful lyrics.

Diamond

What a delicious album! Sarah Vaughan's voice is so delicate and expressive, and the songs sound so softly powerful and beautiful that it is such a pleasure to listen to this list of songs that fly. It's a very immersive album, and a very sweet and warm one too. I've absolutely loved every single second of it. What a shame it didn't last longer. I could listen to her for hours and not get bored the least.

Today's daily album thought's: Sarah Vaughan, Live at Mister Kelly's! Overral pretty good, i've been needing to check out more jazz albums (been starting with Miles Davis) and this is another very solid one. Sarah Vaughan's voice is really soothing. Combined with the lovely piano acompaning it, it's overall really smooth, relaxing and somethign that got me starry eye'd listening to Defineltly will listen to it more and check out more of this artist (More music for me when im working for stuff)

Absolutely stunning! Vaughan has such a beautiful voice! The music and scatting were awesome. It's everything I love about jazz, so smooth and well done!

What a great recording. So intimate and energetic. It makes you feel like if you were in the venue with them. Vaughan is fantastic, a legend. Can’t get enough of this album!

What a fantastic surprise for a birthday gift!

Fun, beautiful, playful and engaging and Sarah's voice is really great. There's something especially touching in live albums from old days that I can't explain.

This reminded me of the music you would hear when dining at Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse!

Great album. Lots of fun ad lib lyrics.

Очень приятный и красивый альбом. В этом случае даже рада, что это лайф версия. Лейдиииис 🙏

I really love the depth of her voice and its so cool that it was recorded live at Mr.Kelly's in chicago, wow.

Álbum excelente. Uma cantora formidável com uma voz tão doce e intensa. O combo está fenomenal também, o piano tem sempre umas intervenções muito interessantes. Gostei muito, certamente um álbum que recomendaria

Great voice, great music. I love it

It's so beautiful!!

I’ve stated before my distaste for live albums, but this album is an exception to me. I adored the feel that this being live brought. You got to truly hear how impressive Sarah Vaughn’s voice was without editing or second takes. It also just felt cozy, as though I were sitting at a cocktail table in a smoke filled bar listening along with them. No playing to the audience, just clapping at the end of a track which did not distract from the talent. And her voice! Good gracious did she have a set of pipes! Not to mention the accompaniment she shared the stage with. They did a great job of being present without trying to steal the show. Just, overall, an enjoyable album.

Great jazz club snapshot, beautiful voice.

Very nice jazz

I believe the impossible has happened. It's a jazz album I legitimately enjoyed. The live aspect of the album lets Vaughan's personality shine through, and it's a pleasant listening experience that keeps me engaged and smiling.

This album is fabulous. The recording quality is excellent even though it is recorded live. her voice is like butter and the accompaniments add to the performance perfectly.

At Mister Kelly's is a 1957 live album by American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, recorded at Mister Kelly's jazz club in Chicago. The Allmusic review by John Bush awarded the album four-and-a-half stars.

Já ouvi seguindo a lista em ordem cronológica

Overall Rating - 4.67/5 (9.33/10). The crowd noise and the couple of extraneous noises and flubs add to the atmosphere of feeling like I'm at a Jazz Club, listening to one of the greats.

What a show! Her charisma is so authentic, she radiates the energy of a sensitive genius, with emotions that could potentially trip, but only ever enhance the entire concert experience. She proves here that she's a professional, handling each challenge, melodic or otherwise, with grace and soul. Driving this up a notch to eternal classic status is the palpable culture of the moment. I enjoyed the host's introduction, the audience's banter, the mid-set accidents, and her seductively talented trio. Finishing off with a song you don't necessarily know the words for is about as fundamentally jazz as you can get, my amusement and admiration multiply after each listen, and I've only been aware of this effort for half a day. Props to the sound engineers on this project, conserving this moment in history is a gift to humanity. I'm trying to find something wrong with the record. This could potentially be a perfect 5. 4.9/5 —or higher

Just wow. What an amazing voice. I also really love the authenticity of the performance and the crowd. Just a really special album

Great late 50s live jazz recording

Really nice jazz. I liked some of the little off-script-moments. Very intimate recording.

was absolutely amazing and for the vibes

Absolutely wonderful listen!

Made me feel like I was in a jazz club in the 50s. Wish I was sipping on a cocktail while I listened to this.

She is otherworldly as a singer and the music is pretty much perfect to accompany her swooning and melodies.

I am not always a fan of live recordings. But this one has so much personality and uniqueness about it. Sarah Vaughn’s vocal performance and ability to improvise makes the album very interesting and fun to listen to.

oh wow. isn't music amazing? aren't people just great?

This genre is right in my wheelhouse. I liked the arrangements more than her singing, which I find a bit affected, despite her lovely voice. I also didn’t love her jokey treatment of some of the songs, but all in all it was still a great listening experience.

Not usually my fave kind of thing but actually quite enjoyed, and thought the live recording added to it

Fantastic album. Not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Pure talent and fun.

While I'd call myself a blues rocker at heart, I was introduced to Jazz (alongside several other genres) when I was quite young. My grandfather was something of an aficionado of the genre, and whenever we'd go to visit my grandparents he'd almost always sit me down and play his latest favourites for me, and as a result I developed a bit of a taste for it myself. Sarah Vaughan is one of the vocal artists I remember most clearly from those visits, alongside Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and Ella Fitzgerald, and listening to her, or any of the others, always brings back fond memories. This album is quite possibly Vaughan at her absolute best. The original 1957 release only covers the first half an hour of the session at Mister Kelly's, but even in those nine short tracks you can hear just how relaxed she is, how much fun she's having with the songs being played, and how in sync her and the band are. The extended version of the full set released in the early nineties just adds to this, and brings home just how amazing Vaughan's voice was. My rating : a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

Very easy to listen to. I liked that that it was a live recording, and there were moments of conversation interjected throughout. Made it feel like I was there enjoying the show. Would definitely listen to this album again.

...........

Beautiful voice. Beautiful album. Classic.

Masterclass and so entertaining!

I absolutely loved this. You could tell she was having so much fun doing it and wasn't taking herself seriously. Her voice is like a sexy personification of smoking a cigar and sipping on a martini. I would recommend this to everyone. 5 out of 5

This recording was everything I wanted it to be. The Divine Sarah Vaughan indeed.

Talk about amazing....

the crispest most beautiful voice i ever did hear

I absolutely loved this album! I actually didn’t know about Sarah Vaughan before this and I’m so glad I do now.

This album is thrilling precisely because it refuses to hide behind perfection. Sarah Vaughan’s voice is astonishing on a purely technical level, but what really elevates this record is the confidence and musical authority on display. Missed cues, forgotten lyrics, even a bumped mic don’t derail anything. They become part of the performance, handled with such ease that they actually deepen the experience rather than diminish it. When Vaughan realizes she doesn’t have the words to “How High the Moon” and simply scats her way through the entire tune, it’s not a workaround. It’s a statement. She shapes melody and harmony in real time, swings effortlessly, and never sounds anything less than in command. The trio matches her every move, covering transitions, extending sections, and responding with total trust and musical awareness. What I love most about this record is the decision to release it exactly as it is. There’s real badassery in letting the flubs stand, because they reveal just how good these musicians are. This isn’t jazz as museum piece or polished showcase. It’s jazz as a living conversation, full of risk, humor, and control. An easy five stars. Incredible musicianship, genuine spontaneity, and a live record that feels alive in every sense of the word.

What a gem wow. Absolutely delicious and beautiful. I could float in all the melodies and Sarah's voice. Amazing.

This is awesome

what do you mean you hate jazz?

Excelente!

Loved it!

Started at 10:06 was recorded live at a performance pretty cool This is the first Jazz album I have listened too and it was great. The first thing the caught me off guard was the fact that it was all recorded live and on the spot which just highlights the talents of Sarah Vaughn. A really great introduction to jazz and the crackling and voices in the background gave the music a very atmospheric feel that current music doesn't have because of the background silence of studios. Having slight background noise elevates the music especially when hearing audiences clap and laugh in the background. Other artists have incorporated slight background noise in their music an example would be Playboi Carti on Rockstar Made where you can hear his chains swinging in the background. This was a great listen, the personality and soul of the music created a calming atmosphere definitely something I would go back to listen too.

This is sublime work. Her voice, the lyrics, the instruments.

Nem szoktam sokszor jazzt hallgatni, de ez nagyon tetszett. Az énekesnő hangja gyönyörű. Az album végénél a szöveg nélküli éneklés annyira nem tetszett, de összességében nagyon élveztem hallgatni. A kedvenc dalom az albumról a: Just One of Those Things.

Sarah was great. You could feel the emotion as she belted out her jazz in what I could only imagine was a smoky, slightly dingy, intimate room at Mister Kelly's.

Great voice, honestly a rare sight that i can listen to an hour of singing and like it. Overall great album and loved the ambience. It has taken me by sutch suprise that i think im going to give it ny first 5

I NEED THIS ON VINYL

Fun and lovely

i love Sarah Vaughan, she can do no wrong. dulcet tones velvety texture also recorded in CHICAGO???

An unbelievable talent. Loose, funny amazing

I don't really know how to describe this album, but boy did I enjoy it. Her voice, the live recording, the part where she forgot her lyrics, all of it brilliant!

Beautiful. Honeyed. A couple of humorous moments. That audience was so lucky to be there.

Old recording brings a wonderful warmth.

Beautiful voice!

джазец хорошо люблю не знал такую мадам, теперь знаю

Delightful album. Like a slice out of time, so cozy and comforting.

Sarah Vaughn had one of the very best voices. Unlike the flashier singers, she kept to the melody with perfect timing and nice fills. She’s seen as one of the big three : Billie and Ella as the other two. And my favourite is Sarah. I love how she hangs onto the consonants - just one of the thinnnnnggs. Absolutely crack band behind her too. 5 stars.

Perfect.

Charming. Fun. Relaxing.

Definitely gives you the vibe of being in a jazz bar. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

Very nice...a true staple of jazz

Perfection

Amazing. Super cool live recording and a real treat to have on.

Luminoso, divertido y todo lo que debería ser un buen disco de jazz vocal. La voz de Sarah Vaughan es una de aquellas que te hace dudar de tu condición de humano (como la de Sinatra), y el combo -especialmente disfruté a Roy Haynes en la batería- interpreta los temas soberbiamente. En 35 minutos hay lugar para temas juguetones así como para las baladas (me sorprendió la versión de Just a Gigolo) y me dejó con ganas de seguir investigando si esta formación ha grabado más pues lo ignoro completamente. Un clásico, entiendo, de una artista que vergonzosamente no había escuchado hasta ahora.

So good!

I really loved this. I normally don't bother with live recordings but this was so open and intimate, and Vaughan's voice is sublime.

Great vocal jazz and love hearing what it sounded like in the 50s to do a live recording

Phenomenal. One of the greatest jazz singers ever, period. It's so enchanting to hear a true live performance like this, where things aren't completely flawless, but you get to hear a master adapt and work around everything in real time. She was infinitely charming and brilliant. What a joy.

So cozy and perfect! I loved every second of it.

Great jazz singer never heard of her until now

Perfect for a cold, fall day. Makes me want to sip a hot beverage.

Loved it. Fun album

I could listen to Sarah Vaughn all night. Such a wonderful voice, a great album. I missed the days of small nightclubs like this, I wish they were still around. Five stars all night long.

### **In-Depth Review of *At Mister Kelly’s* by Sarah Vaughan** Released in **February 1958** and recorded **live** over three nights in **August 1957** at the legendary **Mister Kelly’s jazz club in Chicago**, *At Mister Kelly’s* is a landmark live vocal jazz album by **Sarah Vaughan**, one of the most technically gifted and emotionally resonant singers in jazz history. Backed by a tight trio—**Jimmy Jones (piano)**, **Richard Davis (bass)**, and **Roy Haynes (drums)**—this album captures Vaughan in an intimate, relaxed setting, delivering a masterclass in phrasing, timing, and emotional nuance. --- ### 🎶 **Musicality & Performance** Sarah Vaughan’s voice is the centerpiece here, and she uses it like an instrument—fluid, expressive, and technically flawless. The album spans a wide range of moods, from playful and flirtatious to deeply melancholic. Her interpretation of standards like **“Willow Weep for Me”** and **“Dancing in the Dark”** is imbued with a quiet sorrow, while tracks like **“Thou Swell”** and **“Honeysuckle Rose”** showcase her rhythmic agility and playful scatting. The trio is exceptional. **Jimmy Jones** provides elegant, understated piano accompaniment, while **Roy Haynes**’s drumming is crisp and responsive, never overpowering. **Richard Davis**’s bass lines are melodic and grounding, giving the set a warm, cohesive feel. --- ### 🎼 **Lyrics & Themes** The album is a curated journey through the **Great American Songbook**, with songs by **Cole Porter**, **George Gershwin**, **Rodgers and Hart**, and others. Thematically, the album explores **love in its many forms**—romantic longing, heartbreak, flirtation, and resignation. Vaughan doesn’t just sing the lyrics; she **lives them**, injecting each line with emotional truth. - **“Just a Gigolo”** becomes a tragic meditation on loneliness and identity. - **“Embraceable You”** is tender and intimate, almost whispered. - **“I Cover the Waterfront”** evokes a sense of yearning and isolation. --- ### 🎛️ **Production & Sound** Produced by **Bob Shad** for **EmArcy Records**, the album is a **live recording**, and the production wisely preserves the **raw energy and spontaneity** of the performances. The sound is clean and well-balanced for its time, with Vaughan’s voice front and center, yet the trio is clearly audible and dynamically mixed. There’s minimal crowd noise, but enough ambiance to remind you that this is a **live, breathing moment**. --- ### 🌟 **Influence & Legacy** *At Mister Kelly’s* is often cited as one of Vaughan’s **finest live recordings**, and it stands as a **benchmark for vocal jazz performance**. The album influenced generations of jazz vocalists, from **Nina Simone** to **Diana Krall**, and is a **masterclass in interpretive singing**. It also helped cement Mister Kelly’s as a **crucible for jazz greatness**, with performers like **Ella Fitzgerald** and **Billie Holiday** also gracing its stage. --- ### ✅ **Pros** - **Vaughan’s voice** is at its peak—rich, expressive, and technically flawless. - **Intimate setting** allows for emotional vulnerability and spontaneity. - **Top-tier trio** with exceptional chemistry. - **Timeless song selection** from the Great American Songbook. - **Live energy** captured without overproduction. --- ### ❌ **Cons** - **Limited original material**—all songs are standards, which may not appeal to those seeking innovation. - **Minimal banter or crowd interaction**—some may prefer more context or storytelling between songs. - **Monochromatic mood**—while emotionally rich, the album stays within a relatively narrow emotional range compared to some of her studio work. --- ### 🧾 **Final Verdict** *At Mister Kelly’s* is not just a live album—it’s a **vocal jazz masterclass**, a **time capsule of mid-century elegance**, and a **testament to Sarah Vaughan’s genius**. While it may not break new ground compositionally, it **redefines interpretive singing**, and its influence echoes through decades of jazz and popular music. For anyone interested in the **art of vocal jazz**, this album is **essential listening**.

Not a fan of live albums, but Lord, am I obsessed with her voice. 100/10

What a voice! Five stars.

Moi aussi j'ai un faible pour Billie Holiday. /// Je n'avais pas vu le retour de wineboy et son message. Bon retour wineboy! J'ai compris en décalage que c'était à JF wineboy que la demande s'adressait et non à JF jeanjean. Moi aussi je serait intéressé à connaître tes suggestions.

Great jazz!

I first got introduced to Sarah Vaughan at Jewel Kilcher's biography, she especifically mentioned Sarah's voice control. Although I have listened to some of Sarah's songs, it is in this album that her voice control is crystalline. The way she reaches her lows delivers her highs and deliver the message of the song is something magical. The whole album shows well, even in her imperfections how amazing her voice and charisma are. I am learning here that I love Jazz and Sarah will be definitely an artist that I will be revisiting a lot! 5/5

Such a lovely album! I normally don't like jazz or live albums, but the audience fully appreciated the performance, only interjecting a couple of times when appropriate. The mistakes she made during the recording made it feel very immersive. My rating: 5/5

Would love to hear more like this throughout. I kind of love the way they introduce the performance on the album itself. It adds to the ambience. Favorite Songs: September in the Rain, How High The Moon

What. A. Voice. I felt like I was in the room being enchanted by this vocal siren

In a beautiful bit of cosmic convergence, I happened to listen to this the night I saw Richard Linklater's superb film about Lorenz Hart, the first writing partner of Richard Rodgers. A Rodgers & Heart tune, "Thou Swell", from A Connecticut Yankee, is arguably the centerpiece of this gorgeous live offering from Sarah Vaughan. Never on a live record has a performer seemed so comfortable, so at ease, so in command of her instrument - even when she admits she doesn't remember the words, in one of the albums most honest and remarkable moments. It's like she's been living in these songs her entire life; given that most of the songs she sings here are as old as she was at the time, maybe she had.

Throughly enjoyed this album and it definitely was a mood lifter!

Incredible listen! The expanded version is well worth the listen! Wasn’t really familiar with her repertoire, but was thoroughly buh-lown away. Can’t be in a bad mood listening to this album even for a second.

What an amazing voice to spend the day with. From the moment of her introduction through the final note, this was a snapshot of a one of a kind, gracious, humble, shimmering star. Every song on this album is perfect, unlike KISS’s disastrous 1998 comeback flop “Psycho Circus”, and is made even more so by the humanity and professionalism in which she handles her mistakes in the moment. Sharing a laugh with an extremely lucky audience, while letting a little more of the heart on her sleeve show. Made even better by the incredible band behind her, this album absolutely earns its spot on the 1001.

Wow.. maybe its because I listened on a rainy September morning and the first track synced up perfectly, but this hits different. My kind of jazz, just piano, percussion, upright bass, and a truly otherworldly voice. Even when Vaughan forgets the lyrics, she pulls it off so well and nails the scatting. Absolutely gorgeous, provides a warm feeling for the whole 35 minutes, love this one

God damn what an incredible voice. This brought me to tears, as this kind of music makes me think of my family. Amazing personality and performance from the great Sarah Vaughan.

Beautiful voice. Fun album as far as live albums go. Love to hear the flubs and the audience talking. Makes me feel like Im there. Big fan of this.

Her voice is gorgeous and I liked the spontaneity of the live performance. No complaints here.

>> the Beatles

Häftigt livealbum för sin ålder. Sarah Vaughan är fantastiskt och ljudkvalitén är verkligen otroligt.

This was an unexpected delight. I already loved Sarah Vaughan's voice and her tendency to hood on tritones and 7ths and unexpected notes, but this recording really feels like being in a smoky, vibrant club drinking cocktails and relaxing. The 'mistakes" add to the charm. One to put on headphones and just unwind to.

Sarah Vaughan is clearly an immensely talented vocalist. This live recording is just an astonishing showcase that obviously sounds incredible but is also full of little hiccups, gaffs, and improvisations that make it so so charming to listen to. Honeysuckle Rose is absolutely killer, but that's just a favorite on a record of highlights. How High the Moon with some nice scatting (and love for Ella!) is also just great.

Wow this was fun. Sarah Vaughan's voice is incredible. Powerful and soft and the musicians did a great job. The album itself is so fun too. Opening with telling the audience the recording is happening and the banter of the club. I really enjoyed this.

Favorite tracks: September in the Rain, Thou Swell I would be happy to have this album as background music for the rest of my life, it is absolutely beautiful. I kept forgetting it was live until the audience started clapping, they sounded about as perfect as can be (also I couldn't believe the recording quality for 1957). I couldn't help but smile at Sarah Vaugan's improv at the end of Willow Weep for Me, I'm sure she was fun to see live. Her voice is incredible and I will absolutely be returning to this album.

Very charming and lovely

Brilliant album. First listen loved that!

For me, this album is a flawless masterpiece. If I would have to think of an album that best represents the emotion of love it would be this one ❤️ it’s soothing, charming, heartwarming, and stimulating at the same time

ooooh! this one is a keeper. honey-voiced, i felt like i was there.

Amazing and a forerunner for the great jazz and R&B that was to follow. This album was early in Ms. Vaughan's decades long career and one knows from the first listen that she would be here to stay.

Amazing. Great voice Great vibe great audience

A beautiful voice in a rainy and moody Chicago.

i looooveeeee thissss sooooo muuuccchchhhhh

1958 Vocal jazz

amazing and worth every second of listenting.

I'd love to have a candlelit dinner while listening to this live. Her voice is velvet smooth.

This album is an incredible time, what a great atmosphere and time capsule.

Delightful. Jazz

none of the readings here are revelatory, but theyre all wonderful and warm and atmospheric. vaughan has charisma for days and the venue is captured vibrantly... from its space, the sounds of its patrons, occasional clinks of glass, the time taken for lengthy mellow piano stretches. vaughan all but opens the record by playing off an unexpected extension like a champ, and ends the record by improvising lyrics and scatting to how high the moon. that rly sums up the whole experience of this thing...transparent, transporting, casual, comfy, a series of things just falling effortlessly into place. this would sound good in just about any context i could imagine

Ugh, something about this kind of music cuts straight through to my heart. I almost hate how predictably I fall for it. Just beautiful. (Loved the artifacts of the live performance, like the little improv bit on “Willow Weep For Me” and the scatting on “How High The Moon”) 4.5

Tho not exactly overshadowed by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan does seem to be remembered as the third of that legendary trio of jazz vocalists, perhaps the three greatest of the twentieth century. On this live recording, she musters up so much clarity, so much simplicity, so much swing, so many daring flashes of on-key-then-off-key hilarities, that you'd be hard-pressed not to fall in love on impact. Her characteristic vibrato is actually more controlled in this live context than it often is in the studio, but she's as playful as ever, as jocoserious as Ella is in Berlin, w/ understatements and nonchalances keeping her afloat. She's far more full-bodied than she is merely impressive: a pivotal and enduring vocalist.

Beautiful jazz album! Lovely rich voice. Great piano. Made me feel like i was at barnes and noble at night. Wanted to cuddle by the fire during winter time. Listened to while coloring and felt very at peace!

Not what I would usually feel like listening to, but this is great stuff. So smooth. The improv on Willow caught me off guard and was hilarious. (I was ready for it the second time around, but still good.)

Loved it!

Honestly, I usually hate live albums, but this one made me want to slip back to 1957 again and again just to hear people eating, coughing, and that moment of complicity when Sarah realizes the band keeps playing even though “Willow Weep for Me” should have ended. Sarah Vaughan’s vocal quality is enviable, and it makes me sad I didn’t know her sooner.

This was fun. Not my cup of tea, but the humour and the unedited errors make for a great listen to a great performance. I would have difficulty understanding how anyone would not like this album.

Surprisingly short but no complaints. Beautiful voice from this era. The mixing was ok for a live album. 9/10

I’ve been trying to find this kind of sound and voice since I don’t know when. It’s a great listen.

Her voice is like velvet. The band is completely in the pocket and relaxed. The crowd, while pensive about being recorded, warmed up immediately after the first note from Sarah Vaughan. Unbelievable compilation of songs and performances. Stunning all around and one I'm happy I listened to before I died.

El primer track 🤌

Class act all the way.

excellent, fun live recording

An incredible album. Sarah Vaughn sounds so much like Ella Fitzgerald

Excelente, sentí que estaba inmerso en Rapture. También es buen soundtrack para una cafetería: librito y café

UGH WILLOW WEEP, BUT DARLING BE MINE AND HONEYSUCKLE ROSE?! THATS A 5 STAR. ALSO SHE HELLA FUNNY

Such a great vocalist, so charismatic, warm, funny and with such personality - absolutely loved every minute of it

Unglaubliche Aufnahmequalität. Sympatisch und zeitlos

Cool as hell.

Arrancamos la semana con jazz y con una artista que desconozco por completo. De entrada puedo decir que su voz es cautivadora. Dulce. Me recuerda a la de Lady Gaga y Amy Winehouse. Me dieron ganas seguirla escuchando después de éste álbum. Ideal para compartir una cena con alguien en proceso de cortejo. Gracias por la sorpresa y hasta mañana.

The vibes on this album are so immaculate for a rainy Florida day. It made me feel like I was back in New York again during fall in the best way possible. Her voice is amazing and I love the jazzy style. Definitely a must-listen.

I don't even have to listen to the full thing to tell you how awesome this is. SUCH a crisp recording especially for it's time. Magnificent vocals - absolutely top tier. So relaxing and just nearly perfect. Sarah is an absolute queen in this world. I THINK the pianist also did some work with Ben Webster, one of, if not, my favorite jazz musicians. Really smooth stuff. 4.5 - but i'll give it a 5. we're on a bit of a run here!!

Gorgeous gorgeous

Sometimes I’m happy, lucky in love. Two of my favroite songs from the album

A lovely trip down memory lane into the heart and soul of a powerful voice.

Just wonderful. The musicality and swag are off the charts. Sarah Vaughan is magic.

10/10

I’ve never heard of this artist and man, her incredibly consistent vibrato paired with that smooth as silk tone just had me hooked.

Classic. Iconic.

COME ON. Sarah Vaughan is incredible. Also there’s a trend of 50s jazz singers where they forget the lyrics of a standard and then just improvise lyrics about another singer who sings that song and I love it (Ella Fitzgerald’s Mack the knife is a great example of this)

I liked.

What a voice - mesmerising

Major talent. Massive sass.

I love this 1950s lounge music for some reason. Too me, I want this while eating dinner in a city.

LOVED, made me feel good:)

Great fun!

super chill smooth jazz album from the compatriot of etta james and other wonderfully talented vocalists - even has some humorous moments where she drops her music and then freestyles lyrics over a cover.

Really have never listened to anything like this before and I loved it. Great album to run beginning to end, but I especially loved the song “Be Anything But Darling Be Mine.” And feel like that could be a single on rotation for me. Listening to this on a rainy morning made me feel like I was transported to a jazz club and treated to the best show of my life.

God, what a voice.

A live-off-the-floor performance, spectacularly recorded (it was 1957). Incredible performances, a real treat even if you are not a jazz fan it can be appreciated.

Her voice is impossibly flawless. Her entire catalog could be on this list. Not enough stars available.

This was terrific, and previously unknown to me. Thanks!

Captivating performance. Raw, intimate and classy. You feel you are right there. Mistakes, improvisations and all. A beautiful encapsulation of what live music is all about. It helps that Vaughan's voice is absolutely stunning

Exquisite. Smooth and beautiful, and also very personal. A supreme songstress at the top of her game.

BEAUTIFULLLLLLL

probably the platonic ideal of a live album, really good recording quality but still captures some of the energy and charm. i dare you not to crack a smile when she acknowledges an on-stage mistake or speak-sings to the crowd mid-song!

Jazzy, fun live parts, classic music, and i gotta share it with everyone.

Great Album! I love this era of vocal jazz! _felt like I had an old Night Club in the Shop here! _added to LP buy list!

What I want to hear walking in a bar or coffee shop mid afternoon. The kind of vocal jazz you passively listen to or actively ignore. I'm a little fixated on the R on the marquee on the cover. Was it just like that when they took the photo or did some art director have a brilliant idea right before or was there a transfer letter screw up?

A sound that is timeless, a great performance. Fun and spontaneous like a live album should be, another album I would never have listened to. Polymath

My mother would have loved this. That's no bad thing. It made me smile several times. That's a good thing too. A joyous, swinging, jazz performance from the late 50s and Sarah has a wonderful voice for the material. I found two variants of this album. A 9 track hi-res "remastered" version and a 20 track CD res version. If there's any sound quality benefit from the hi-res version its marginal at best. I'll take the 20 tracks as 9 simply isn't enough. 5/5 - I don't do that often.

Kind of loved this. Sarah Vaughan is obviously one of the greatest voices from the early part of contemporary music, and she's in her element in this environment.

Feels like I'm right there in the jazz club with them, sat at the bar

loveddd. maybe I'm into jazz

Great Live Album!

jazz classic from one of the greats. really liked the scat singing in "how high the moon" Favorite track: How high the moon Other picks: willow weeo for me, just one of those things, honeysuckle rose

1957. Vocal Jazz. 9/10

Bangers all around. I love a good live album that has great recording, awesome audience interaction. Feels nice and intimate

Really loved how wide a range she has! And her voice was so velvety

After Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Abby Lincoln, Sarah Vaughan does take her place for my top singers. It's a shame i didn't find her until now.

I really liked this album. I'm a sucker for that chill lounge jazz, and this met that perfectly. Its definitely not the kind of thing I'd just throw on anywhere, but while I was working it was awesome.

Need a glass of whisky and a cigar for this one.

I loved it. Really evoked a great sense of that time.

Jazzy with great vocals

Omg what an album, what a voice and music... Marvelous...

It's hard to believe this is a live recording with the quality. This is my favourite kind of jazz. I adore this.

You can't get more blue than the black woman in 1950s America tell you what.

Solid 5, her vocals are amazing she performs well live. Album had a great feel to it.

I didn’t know what yo expect but she has a wonderful voice

I've never listed to a full album by Vaughn before-this was fantastic. she's got such control over her voice, clear tone, & wonderful sound. love that she just rolls during a couple of hiccups during the show. the instruments compliment her & don't take anything away from her performance. excellent listen

The only live album I've truly enjoyed

Wow. The power of a recording to take you back in time. Amazing voice, and an album that doesn’t overstay its welcome. A great introduction to her and 1950s jazz - and a great accompaniment to yesterdays album (Amy Winehouse).

Sarah Vaughan is hands down my favorite vocalist of all time, her perfect pitch and simpatia on stage enchant me to the very core, I get lost in her every time. I listened through this one I think 5 or 6 times, glorious, beautiful, perfect. I LOVE her!!!!!!!

Wow! Her voice is surreal. It’s perfect. I loved her humor, warmth and the cherry on top was the scat vocals. Love it.

There is a unique category of albums that really transport you to the exact time and space where the album was recorded. You just feel like your there - in the room. Being live has an added advantage but that is not always enough. Its the recording itself, the arrangements. And of course - the singer. This one checks all the boxes.

What an extraordinary talent. A voice - accompanied by only a piano- has oh so rarely sounded this good.

Classy jams. Side B is a string of swell tunes.

Wow totally unexpected, absolutely brilliant. This is classic jazz at it’s height

Cool

Nice 👍 I love jazz

yes

Love this

Classy music to make me feel all classy

What. A. Voice. I loved this and played it twice while driving today

Sounds like autumn

A voice like syrup. Sublime and faultless. Even the 2 star review recognise this? I can understand how some don't like Live albums or Jazz but I feel this transcends all these labels. It's more lie a historical document- outside of the norms of 'albums' but I'm glad they chose to record this for posterity.

incrível como os anos passam e eu continuo achando a voz da sarah vaughan uma das coisas mais incríveis do mundo junto das anfetaminas, a vaughan foi minha grande companheira escrevendo trabalho de faculdade pelas madrugadas pra mim, esse álbum é tipo um dos melhores momentos dela

I liked this. It was cozy and loose in all the best ways. I love the crowd. I love the songs. This was just great.

Sarah Vaughan was among jazz and bop's greatest voices. She had a long, prolific career, and "At Mister Kelly's" was her eighth album - but some don't include this in her discography, as this is an "and Her Trio" work. This is a live album at the famous Chicago club, Mister Kelly's. The recording is incredible for a 1957 live recording. For most of the album, you may think this is recorded in the studio. A microphone bump, and a bit of laughter following in "Willow Weep for Me" will remind you that this is indeed a live recording. Sarah Vaughan has an incredible voice. An instrument with considerable range. Her dynamic expression makes her performances fully engaging. As a live performance, this work is all the more impressive. She was a relaxed and confident performer, and this album captures her abilities early in her career.

Classic

Absolutely wonderful vocals!

I really enjoyed this, we tend to see antiquated art as some more serious than the things we make today, so hearing Sarah Vaughan make mistakes and get a little silly with it was refreshing. And, of course, beautiful voice great band. Class.

Fantastic vocal performance over subtle jazz.

67 years later and still amazing. I really liked that they included the out-takes. Her voice is amazing and I loved listening to this. I torn between a 4 and 5 for this album. Thinking back on this after listening I'll go with a 5

Sarah Vaughan's voice. Ridiculous rhythm section. Live Jazz. As if to make sure everyone knows it's live, in "Willow Weep for Me" something falls close to a mic, some people close to the mics laugh, her lyric sheet runs out of lyrics before the rhythm section is done, so she improvises some lyrics about how she messed up the song. And then jokes, "that's probably the one they'll use." Sarah Vaughan is relaxed and in terrific voice. Given the musicians, the floor started at 4 stars for this one. It's an enthusiastic 5 stars.

Wunderschöne Musik und wunderschöner Gesang. Da stimmt die Qualität zu 100%.

When I hear Sarah Vaughan's voice, I hear joy. This live recording is so raw. Flaws are left in, but they give this recoding a more human feel. Having said that, the recording quality is excellent for it's time. Liked Songs Added:: - Willow Weep For Me - Just A Gigolo - How High The Moon

Great album!

What a difference a great singer makes! Great vocals are essential IMO for anything other than instrumental. Her voice is epic and I was amazed at how seamlessly she improvised the lyrics to the last song. Too bad it was a short album.

Amazing. Timeless, though, of course, having in mind and listening to the noise in the background, it almost gives a nostalgic sense to the music, and even more when, back then, it was a means for black people to represent their culture, when not a lot of white people have a shit about jazz.

Wonderful calm and itimate Jazz Album!

Absolutely superb - the divine Sarah!

Great stuff, good songs, perfect arrangements, Sarah Vaughan's voice is flawless, and the fun little "bloopers" throughout really tie it up with a bow.

Some albums are boring, some are just azz; this album is neither, this album is cash

Stunning voice

Lovely album. One of those perfect live recordings - fantastic! I really like the entire album, vocal, instrument and all around sound :)

I absolutely adore Sarah Vaughan. This is just beautiful stuff. If you don't like it, there's no hope for your eternal soul.

Lovely lovely voice :)

Ya like jazz?

I really liked this. Never listened to Sarah Vaughn before. This is the kind of album I was hoping to find on this list.

I listen to Vaughan all the time on KCCK, but have never listened to a complete album. Maybe the best live, vocal jazz album ever. Seriously!!

What a lovely voice. This album is so much fun and relaxing. I was in the perfect mood for this. Sarah Vaughan got some of the best pipes I've ever heard yet I rarely hear her name mention in the world of great vocalists

This was great - the final song cemented the 5 🌟 rating.

You can hear the charisma through the microphone. I adored everything about this

Very good! The candid recording about her never singing some of the songs is giving. Almost like being at Mr. Kelly's.

Utterly lovely

Smooth like a finely aged bourbon.

Absolutely amazing, felt as I was there

If you can’t enjoy this, there is no hope for you. You don’t have to love it, but by all that is good, you should be able to enjoy the beauty in that voice. I’m gonna listen to it again now.

Real strong vibe, enjoyed it thoroughly and the live aspect only enhanced it

This album is like the smoothest cup of coffee and the warmest blanket on the coldest day.

Enjoyable I feel like hosting a cocktail party now LOL

Goddamn, I loved this one.

Absolutely stunning. Wasn't sure what to expect but this left me awestruck, tight three piece drum, piano and bass jazz band and Sarah has the range, good lord does she have the range.

I love the album cover. I love live albums. I haven't heard of Sarah Vaughan before, but I'm loving this record after the first few songs. These old live albums makes me reflect on how amazing it is to listen to these moments in time so many years later. This is an intimate record made in a legendary club, attended by people who are more than likely all dead, and I get to be there too. That's pretty cool. Her personality comes through in a big way in Willow Weep for Me. I love funny crowd interactions. I loved the whole album. Very relaxing with some nice crowd moments. 9/10

This one has such an intense sense of place. I didn’t just listen to this, I felt it. Absolutely demands to be listened to at night.

5/5

a beautiful classic jazz album and live performance. sarah's soulful and resonant voice paired with her bubbly personality keeps the audience, me included interested in her act all the way through. this was recorded in the 1950s but the quality is absolutely phenomenal for this time; makes you feel like you're there.

Beautiful musicianship, while extraordinarily down to earth. This amazing little album brings you into a true live experience, which contains as much charming personality as wonderful music.