In life, people seem to forget the past. Every thing is always about the current, topping, top 40 musicians and the new technology and movies. Most times, the key to the present is in the past. That is why you should listen to Canadian jazz vocalist Delilah’s new EP: Sarah + 1, A Tribute To Sarah Vaughan. Sarah Vaughan single handedly changed the face of jazz. She wrote many standards that later influenced other genres. Although her music was most popular in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, we can still learn a lot from her music. The 4 track EP features Delilah’s favorite Vaughan covers of “Whatever Lola Wants”, “September In The Rain” and “Just Friends”. The “+1” track is “Smile” the famous song written by Charlie Chaplin as an instrumental in 1936 for his movie Modern Times. Chaplin composed the music, while John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added the lyrics and title in 1954. The lyrics are based on lines and the theme from the film that everything will be ok, as long as they smile. “Smile” is a very apropos song for Delilah who always promotes a positive attitude in her music and her daily life. The song has been performed by dozens of greats including Nat King Cole, Diana Ross, and a duet with Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand.
All of the songs on the track sound great and are really clean cut. The vocals sound amazing and the instruments accompanying her compliment her voice amazingly. “September in the Rain” has a beautiful jazz syllable solo (AKA “Scat Solo“) and great horn lines. The vocals on all of the songs are authentic and the balance is just right on everything. I highly suggest that you buy the album and support her work! Let the music speak for itself. You can view snippets of the songs on Soundcloud (below) and learn more about her on her website! (http://delilahmusic.com/)