Carmen Mcrae You Dont Know Me

Although she never achieved quite the eminence of Billie Holiday (one of her idols), Sarah Vaughan (another) or Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae (1920-1994) was a highly accomplished singer, equally at dwelling with popular songs and innovative jazz arrangements.

This generous 97-song set contains selections of her early on recordings on the Musicraft, Decca, Bethlehem and EMI labels in orchestral and small group settings. During this determinative 12-year flow, she developed and honed a distinctive voice and commitment, marked by flawless intonation, behind-the-beat phrasing and a remarkable ability to invest her materials with irony.

Richard Melt believed that "no jazz singer has ever used sarcasm and a dark wit in the way that McRae did". Downbeat critic John Tynan commended her performances which contrived "to give the constant impression that she's never wrong in the interpretation and delivery of any vocal". Will Friedwald admired her "fastidious musicianship" but confessed "one forever walks abroad from Carmen McRae records liking her tremendously only not being exactly certain why". Ralph J. Gleason opined: "With Carmen you become it all. For the melody of the song itself, you get a jazz musician interpolating, bringing variations of phrasing, melodic line and rhythm and sometimes adding completely spontaneous improvisations." These comments can be practical to this collection – which includes some junior material she was forced to perform in her early career. This review can only select the dross and the gilded from this welcome anthology.

The showtime track on CD1 – Laissez passer Me By – has "Carmen Clarke" as she then was, the wife of drummer Kenny Clarke, attempting to enhance its unmemorable lyrics. Among the better songs on CD1 are a sprightly Foggy Mean solar day, a sensuous reading of Become Slow, a clever accommodation of the traditional song Charlie Is My Darling, a swinging "OOH" (What 'Cha Doin' To Me) with backing from the Dave Lambert Singers, and A Fine Romance (including some amusing exchanges with Sammy Davis Jr.) and an equally delightful They All Laughed.

On CD2, Carmen is heard with the strings of Jack Pleis's orchestra on a satisfying version of Star Optics. An upbeat "alive" version of Charlie Barnet'southward Skyliner (the only ane I'm aware of) has a faultless, fast-spoken treatment from Carmen. Tadd Dameron provides Carmen with a smoothly swinging system of Putting All My Eggs In I Basket (taken from her first-class Decca album Blue Moon).The less said about Information technology's Like Getting A Donkey To Gallop, I Love The Ground You Walk On, and Lo And Behold the ameliorate, merely lend an ear to her handling of Old Devil Moon.

In the obviously fraternal company of the Tony Scott Quartet (CD3) McRae delivers a loping version (with squeeze box accessory) of Yous Made Me Care, and a gently persuasive Last Fourth dimension For Dear. Ralph Burns provides a shimmery backcloth for [The] Midnight Sun, and a recitative rendering of Adept Morning time, Heartache. Backed by The Matt Mathews Quintet, Carmen requests Give Me The Simple Life, followed by a declamatory slow tempo interpretation of Sometimes I'm Happy, and a persuasive I'll Retrieve Apr.

CD4 is probably the all-time of the agglomeration, with Carmen directed (again) by Tadd Dameron on Blue Moon, and I Was Doing All Right (both highly recommended). She also masters the difficult lyrics of Billy Strayhorn'southward Lush Life (directed by Jimmy Mundy). On Funny Valentine, Little Things and East Of The Lord's day, she has unobtrusive but subtle support from Ronnell Bright, Ike Isaacs (her second husband) and Specs Wright. Nice Work and Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Ocean have Carmen accompanying herself on piano.

Paul Watts provides informative and copious liner notes – but should be brash that Leslie Gourse, whom he cites, is a woman and not a human being. She is the author of The Billie Holiday Companion (1999) and Carmen McRae: Miss Jazz (2001).

Pocket-sized warts and all, this is a valuable and instructive introduction to "early on" McRae. If nothing reaches the heights of such latter-day sessions equally her tribute anthology Lover Man And Other Billie Vacation Classics and the magnificent Carmen Sings Monk (with the late George Mraz on bass), we are still fortunate to have this "Old Testament" compilation.

Discography
CD1: Pass Me Past; Autumn Nocturne; In Love In Vain; A Foggy Day; Wanting You; Go Slow; Charlie Is My Darling; Are You Happy? Oh, My Darling! "Ooh" (What'cha Doin' To Me); If I'thousand Lucky; Go on Me In Listen; They All Laughed; Whatever Lola Wants; Am I The One To Arraign; Become Set; Yous Don't Have To Tell Me; I Go For Yous; A Fine Romance; Honey Is Hither To Stay; This Volition Make Yous Express mirth; The Next Time It Happens; Come On, Come In; Come Down To Earth, Mr. Smith; Guess I'll Clothes Up For The Blues; This evening He's Out To Break Some other Heart (73.05)
CD2: Star Eyes; Never Loved Him Anyhow; You lot Don't Know Me; Skyliner; If You Should Get out Me; Namely You; I'grand Putting All My Eggs In One Basket; The Political party's Over; I'm A Dreamer, Aren't We All; It'due south Like Getting A Donkey To Gallop; How Many Stars Have To Shine? Infant, It'southward Common cold Outside; Happy To Make Your Acquaintance; As I Love You; Passing Fancy; And so Nice To Be Wrong; Moonray; Invitation; Lo And Behold; I Dear The Footing Yous Walk On; I'll Honey You (Till I Die); Easy To Honey; Sometime Devil Moon (60.54)
CD3: If I'yard Lucky; Tip Toe Gently; You Made Me Care; Last Time For Dearest; Misery'; Last Night When We Were Young; Speak Low (When Y'all Speak Love); Only Beautiful; If You'd Stay The Mode I Dream About Y'all; Midnight Sun; My Future Only Passed; Yesterdays; We'll Exist Together Again; Good Morning, Heartache; I Don't Stand up A Ghost Of A Chance With You; Give Me The Simple Life; Sometimes I'chiliad Happy; Something To Live For; I Can't Get Started; Yardbird Suite; Simply One Of Those Things; My I And Just Love; I'll Call back April; Supper Time; Yous Took Reward Of Me (73.55)
CD4: Blue Moon; My Foolish Center; I Was Doing All Correct; Summer Is Gone; Nowhere; Until The Real Affair Comes Forth; Lush Life; Even If Information technology Breaks My Heart; Laughing Male child; Lilacs In The Pelting; All This Could Lead To Love; I Can't Escape From You; Guess Who I Saw Today; My Funny Valentine; The Trivial Things That Mean And then Much; I'k Thru With Love; Nice Work If You Can Get It; East Of The Sun; Exactly Similar You lot; All My Life; Betwixt The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea; Dream Of Life; Perdido (72.ten)
McRae (v, p) on all tracks with orchestras conducted and directed by Mercer Ellington, Larry Elgart, Sy Oliver, Jack Pleis, Tadd Dameron, Ralph Burns, Jimmy Mundy, and pocket-size groups featuring Herbie Isle of man (f); Mundell Lowe (chiliad); Wendell Marshall (b); Jenny Clarke (d); Tony Scott (p); Osie Johnson (d). New York, 1946-1958.
Acrobat ACQCD7157

livingstonbusteding.blogspot.com

Source: https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2021/11/07/carmen-mcrae-the-singles-albums-collection-1946-58/

Share this post