Swingin' Easy
Swingin' Easy is a 1957 studio album by Sarah Vaughan featuring recordings made in April 1954 and February 1957 in New York City; eight tracks from the April 1954 session—featuring John Malachi on piano and Joe Benjamin on bass—originally appeared on the 10-inch LP Images; the album showcases Vaughan’s vocal virtuosity, including octave-spanning bop phrasing on 'All of Me' and a reimagined, slower-tempo melody on 'Pennies from Heaven'; critical reception emphasized her professionalism, relaxed delivery, and freedom when backed solely by a rhythm section, highlighting specific tracks such as 'Words Can't Describe', 'Shulie a Bop', 'Lover Man', and 'Linger Awhile'; personnel include Jimmy Jones and John Malachi alternating on piano, Richard Davis and Joe Benjamin alternating on double bass, and Roy Haynes on drums; the album contains twelve standard jazz songs plus one bonus track, 'Linger Awhile', not on the original LP; the Billboard review praised its ease and cogency, while The Penguin Guide underscored its freewheeling, good-humoured character within a stripped-down instrumental setting.