Recorded just after Sarah Vaughan joined the Roulette label in 1960, The Divine One found her in exactly the right circumstances to suit her excellent talents. Arranged by Jimmy Jones, who also sits in on piano, the setting was a small group that included one strong voice to accentuate hers -- and no less a strong and clear voice than trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison (the perfect accompaniment for Vaughan). The Divine One is mostly a ballads collection, and it includes a few songs that were new to her repertoire -- good choices like "Have You Met Miss Jones?" (aka "Old Jones"), "When Your Lover Has Gone," "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams," and "Jump for Joy." One great left-field choice is "Ain't No Use," the R&B song taken as a slow torch song that Big Maybelle had first recorded (Nina Simone didn't record it until several years later). Roulette would soon push Vaughan in many different directions -- releasing over a dozen LPs in just a few short years -- but this small-group date is a gem. ~ John Bush

The Delft Big Band, under the musical directorship of Ian Smith, was launched in August 2008 as an initiative by the Department of Social Development, and NGO Cape Outdoor Adventure Service and Training ( COAST ). The objective of the project was to take youngsters off the gang-infested streets of Delft, one of the most violent suburbs on the Cape Flats, and give them a focus in life, in addition to enabling them to contribute to their household income. The band, consisting of 17 musicians and two vocalists, has developed into one of the most exciting big bands in South Africa, with many of the founder members now earning incomes as music teachers and professional musicians, as well as progressing to studies at the UCT College of Music.

Members of the band have undertaken two tours of Sweden, a tour of France, and performances at the Liverpool Brouhaha Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and the London Jazz Festival.

The Delft Big Band also performed at the 2015 Cape Town International Jazz Festival, one of the most prestigious festivals of its kind globally.

This was her penultimate album, recorded when her body was telling her enough was enough. During the sessions with arranger Ray Ellis she was drinking vodka neat, as if it were tap water. Yet, for all her ravaged voice (the sweetness had long gone) she was still an incredible singer. The feeling and tension she manages to put into almost every track sets this album as one of her finest achievements. 'You've Changed' and 'I Get Along Without You Very Well' are high art performances from the singer who saw life from the bottom upwards. The CD reissue masterminded by Phil Shaap is absolutely indispensable.