Artist
Carmen Mcrae

Carmen McRae always had a nice voice (if not on the impossible level of an Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan) but it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretations of lyrics that made her most memorable. She studied piano early on and had her first important job singing with Benny Carter's big band (1944), but it would be another decade before her career had really gained much momentum. McRae married and divorced Kenny Clarke in the ' ... 40s, worked with Count Basie (briefly) and Mercer Ellington (1946-1947), and became the intermission singer and pianist at several New York clubs. In 1954 she began to record as a leader' and by then she had absorbed the influences of Billie Holiday and bebop into her own style. McRae would record pretty steadily up to 1989 and, although her voice was higher in the '50s and her phrasing would be even more laid-back in later years, her general style and approach did not change much through the decades. Championed in the '50s by Ralph Gleason, McRae was fairly popular throughout her career. Among her most interesting recording projects were participating in Dave Brubeck's the Real Ambassadors with Louis Armstrong, cutting an album of live duets with Betty Carter, being accompanied by Dave Brubeck and George Shearing, and closing her career with brilliant tributes to Thelonious Monk and Sarah Vaughan. Carmen McRae, who refused to quit smoking, was forced to retire in 1991 due to emphysema. She recorded for many labels including Bethlehem, Decca (1954-1958), Kapp, Columbia, Mainstream, Focus, Atlantic (1967-1970), Black Lion, Groove Merchant, Catalyst, Blue Note, Buddah, Concord, and Novus. See more [+]

Satin Doll |||||

Cigarette holder, which wigs me, Over her shoulder, she digs...

Midnight, The Stars And You |||||

Midnight, with the stars and you; Midnight, and a rendezvous...

I'll Remember April |||||

This lovely day will lengthen into ev'ning, We'll sigh good-...

The Man I Love |||||

Someday he'll come along, the man I love, And he'll be big a...

Give Me The Simple Life |||||

I don't believe in frettin' and grievin'; Why mess around wi...

Make Someone Happy |||||

Make someone happy, Make just one someone happy; Make just o...

Upside Dowh |||||

I said, upside down you're turning me, you're giving love in...

I Concentrate On You |||||

Whenever skies look gray to me, And trouble begins to brew, ...

By Myself |||||

The party's over, the game is ended The dreams I dreamed wen...

Got To Get You Into My Life |||||

I was alone, I took a ride, I didn't know what I would find ...

How Long Has This Been Going On? |||||

I could cry salty tears Where have I been all these years? L...

Dindi |||||

Sky, so vast is the sky With far away clouds just wandering ...

Stardust |||||

And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the m...

That Old Black Magic |||||

That old black magic has me in its spell, That old black mag...

The Very Thought Of You |||||

The very thought of you and I forget to do The little ordina...

The Folks Who Live On The Hill |||||

Someday, we'll build a home on a hilltop high, you and I, Sh...

Getting Some Fun Out Of Life |||||

When we want to love, we love; When we want to kiss, we kiss...

I Wish I Were In Love Again |||||

The sleepless nights, the daily fights, The quick toboggan w...

Don't You Worry 'bout Aa Thing |||||

Everybody's got a thing But some don't know how to handle it...

You Took Advantage Of Me |||||

I'm a sentimental sap, that's all What's the use of tryin' n...

Heat Wave |||||

Whenever I'm with him Something inside, starts to burning An...

Easy Living |||||

Living for you is easy living It's easy to live when you're ...

It Never Entered My Mind |||||

Once I laughed when I heard you saying That I'd be playing s...

This Will Make You Laugh |||||

This will make you laugh I staked my dreams on you This will...

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