# Sarah Vaughan vs. Cassandra Wilson **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vaughan-vs-cassandra-wilson/609163 "2012-01-11T14:51:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vaughan-vs-cassandra-wilson/609163/1 "2012-01-11T14:51:29Z")
The two most beautiful Jazz voices I’ve heard. [Vaughan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Vaughan) [Wilson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassandra_Wilson) Thirty years apart, they did different songs, but who is the best? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vaughan-vs-cassandra-wilson/609163/2 "2012-01-11T15:19:15Z")
Either [Ella Fitzgerald](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRyDB4RWJdw) or many years later [Melody Gardot](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dJ0ISaTLCc&ob=av2e). ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vaughan-vs-cassandra-wilson/609163/3 "2012-01-11T17:24:41Z")
Vaughn. What do I win? 😉 I have total respect for Cassandra. But Sarah Vaughn is…_Sarah Vaughn_. When I was younger and trying to make sense of the Big 3 girl jazz singers, I figured that Billie Holiday sang from deep inside the lyric, Ella sang/glided/flew on top of the lyric and Sarah Vaughn integrated both qualities. Generalizations that don’t stand up to scrutiny, to be sure, but Vaughn’s ability to “sit in the middle” and deliver a lyric with style and substance was beautiful… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vaughan-vs-cassandra-wilson/609163/4 "2012-01-11T17:39:34Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Vaughn. What do I win? 😉 My undying gratitude. 🙂 Ella surely can scat. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vaughan-vs-cassandra-wilson/609163/5 "2012-01-11T23:15:19Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Either > > [Ella Fitzgerald](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRyDB4RWJdw) Or better yet, [the version where she forgets the words](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-feal-JIG8o). This is pure Ella, and can’t be touched. Oh, and the OP? Sarah Vaughan, of course. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vaughan-vs-cassandra-wilson/609163/6 "2012-01-12T00:43:35Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Or better yet, [the version where she forgets the words](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-feal-JIG8o). This is pure Ella, and can’t be touched. Yeah, I love that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vaughan-vs-cassandra-wilson/609163/7 "2012-01-12T03:59:40Z")
Vaughn, hands down