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Carmen McRae: At the Great American Music Hall

By Joseph Vella
February 1, 2023
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From 1977, this live recording is one of the finest jazz vocal albums of all time. It captures Carmen McRae at her height performing a standout repertoire of standards and popular songs of the day in a small group setting (with special guest Dizzy Gillespie). Capturing Carmen's true brilliance as a jazz singer, her impeccable timing, dynamics, interpretative genius, and intimate lyrical storytelling is on full display here along with her magnetic rapport with the audience. Musicians of any genre should study this recording inside and out. Carmen's ability to interpret the lyric with such believable nuance makes you feel like she's singing just to you. The tunes with Dizzy are the icing on the cake. Big shout out to her superb backing trio of Marshall Otwell, Ed Bennett and Joey Baron.

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Creator of Jazz Online/Vella Interactive (produces Tom Scott's Podcast Express among other things).

About Carmen McRae

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