Jazz Articles about Carmen McRae

McRae, Bird @ 100, Newk & More

by Marc Cohn
March 13, 2020

This week we celebrate the centennial of singer Carmen McRae with three selections from her stupendous 1961 recording, Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man. We put on our 'professor's hat' and do a compare and contrast with primarily Billie Holiday on each tune and guest appearances from Dianne Reeves and Shirley Horn. Fascinating to hear how each singer uses rhythm and phrasing to put a unique stamp on these tunes. Oh, and also the first recording of “Them There Eyes" from ...

A Musical Tribute To Caffeine

by H William Stine
August 4, 2019

Caffeine—voted the #3 most popular way to stay awake during my show—right after thinking of words that rhyme with “constellation" and reliving your latest root canal (I'll let you figure out the order). Two hours of songs about coffee and tea and the singers who enjoy them, plus, to sweeten the cup, I've tossed in several startling, incredible, and highly-caffeinated performances. Playlist Cody Owen Stine “Paris Mismatch (Theme Music)" from (Unreleased Master) (Self Produced) 00:00 Carmen McRae, ...

The Doctor’s New Year’s Eve Warmup

by Marc Cohn
January 4, 2019

The confluence of the stars. Our “listeners' favorites" show and the infamous DrJ New Year's Eve warmup together! How greasy could it be? Well, very. We've got some of your favorites from Shows 341-350 as well as some funky stuff from older shows that got you resonated. No disco, though... sorry. But you can still crank it up & shake that thang. Hit the play button and enjoy the show! A joyous, healthy & prosperous 2019 to all! January 1969 ...

Carmen McRae: Carmen McRae: Live at Sugar Hill - San Francisco

by Samuel Chell
February 25, 2008

This overlooked on-location session from 1963 reveals, perhaps more than any other recording, why Carmen McRae at the time deserved to complete the dominating triumvirate in which Ella Fitzgerald's and Sarah Vaughan's places were always secure. In the 1970s the marketplace would often hamstring her choice of material and settings, and in the 1980s the years of smoking began to have a noticeable effect on the breath-stream that once sustained her enviable instrument. On this occasion, however, she retains the ...

Carmen McRae, Miss Jazz

by Kyle Simpler
March 8, 2004

Carmen McRae, Miss Jazz Leslie Gourse Billboard Books ISBN: 0879306289

In recent years, we have stretched the meaning of the word diva. In the past, it brought to mind a female vocalist like Maria Callas; nowadays it encompasses much more. There are literary divas, culinary divas, you name it. While the word gets gets applied to different circumstances, the true essence of diva is still rooted in the musical world. Obviously, the great jazz ...

Carmen McRae: Carmen Sings Monk

by John Sharpe
November 1, 2001

Carmen Sings Monk is just one of five new reissues in BMG’s First Editions series, released under the rejuvenated Bluebird Jazz label. Other titles in the series’ first offering include Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney (Fancy Meeting You Here), Coleman Hawkins (The Hawk in Hi-Fi), Charles Mingus (Tijuana Moods) and Gil Scott-Heron (Free Will). Each release features enhanced sound quality, detailed liner notes, archival photographs and in most cases, special bonus/unreleased tracks. Recorded in 1988, Carmen Sings Monk contains two ...

Carmen McRae: Something Wonderful

by Mathew Bahl
July 1, 2001

The great Carmen McRae’s tenure at Columbia lasted only two years (1961-1962). Most of her work for the label involved collaborations with pianist Dave Brubeck (her Take Five and his Tonight Only and The Real Ambassadors ). In fact, she recorded only two LPs and a few singles that featured material not written by Brubeck. Her first album for the label, Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics, was a Lady Day tribute with a sextet featuring Norman Simmons on ...