Sarah + 2

Her voice was a force of nature, and throughout the 1940s and '50s Sarah Vaughan was paired with every conceivable permutation of jazz combo. In 1962, the critical and popular success of the novel, bare-bones AFTER HOURS album (recorded with only a guitarist and bassist) inspired this similarly spare follow-up from the same year. Here, she teams with guitarist Barney Kessel and upright bassist Joe Comfort on 11 torchy standards that showcase her full-bodied sostenuto and her sophisticated approach to harmonics. "When Sunny Gets Blue," in particular, shimmers in this simple setting, and Kessel and Comfort provide tasteful support at every turn.