THE ORIGINAL "DIVINE  ONE"

BY: Cynthia Rose Lane

Imagine a hall in New York City filled with people quietly waiting for a concert to begin.  They are not concerned with what others are wearing or if they themselves are sporting the latest fashions.  They have come for one thing only:  The music.

Some are sipping wine; others are holding subdued conversations.  Most are looking with reverence toward the stage.  Speaking of the stage, there’s something unusual about it.  It is void of decorations except for a midnight blue velvet curtain at the rear cascading from the cavernous ceiling down to the mahogany floor.  A baby grand piano, bass, classical guitar, and set of drums await their masters.  In their midst stands a bulbous microphone, gleaming with excitement.  There is no room for backup singers or dancers in skin tight skimpy outfits.  No synthesizers.  No magic machines that spew out fake fire or serpentine streamers.  But there is a presence and excitement of things to come.
Then the lights dim and a hush falls over the auditorium.  Three hundred and fifty plus pairs of eyes stare at the stage as one by one four musicians walk out, embraced by gracious applause.  Each is dressed in a black tuxedo trimmed in satin lapels.  The bow tie, white pleated front shirt, silver cuff links and Stacy Adams complete the elegant attire.

Then a chocolate colored woman wearing a white chiffon gown trimmed in silver sequins makes her entrance.  The polite applause becomes thunderous, and the audience rises to its feet.  She smiles, takes the mike, looks toward the pianist and nods.  The audience sits and you can hear a pin drop.  Then the magic begins.  Her full lips part, and one of the world’s greatest contraltos and jazz singers begins her performance.  As her whole body breaks out in Misty, tears well up in the eyes of a woman sitting in the front row.  An audio technician shakes his head in disbelief over the power of the voice he hears.  Moonlight in Vermont, Tenderly, The Nearness of You---all these she sings with the same beauty and depth of power.  By the time she finishes Once in A While, the audience is wrung out with pleasure.

Sarah Vaughn was born in 1924 and died in 1990.  Winner of major honors, including a Grammy Award, National Endowment for the Arts Award, and NEA Jazz Masters Award, she has been praised for her extraordinary range and unique creative delivery.  In a few seconds she could go from bass to high C with shimmering vibrato.  She could bring her listeners to tears and laughter with her rendition of Summertime and send them over the rainbow with Whatever Lola Wants.  Nicknamed “Sassy,” she later became known as “The Divine One.”

How fortunate we Baby Boomers are to have had the benefit of such great artists.  How I miss this music!  I think I’ll throw a potluck and invite my jazz friends over.  After dinner we’ll relax with “The Divine One” while having dessert.  As always, it’ll be an awesome and magical performance.  I can hardly wait.

Cynthia is an author, playwright, poet, musician, and motivational speaker who lives in Atlanta.

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