Carmen McRae

Lover Man and Other B. Holiday Classics (FSRCD 740)

Lover Man and Other B. Holiday Classics View larger

Lover Man and Other B. Holiday Classics

Carmen McRae

Fresh Sound Records

8427328607407

ABS 137268

FSRCD 740

JAZZ

1

Lover Man and Other B. Holiday Classics

More details

CD 9,98 €

When Carmen McRae (1920-1994) made the splendid Sings Lover Man and other Billie Holiday Classics in 1961 it was a heartfelt tribute to her main influence. By then she was a mature, confident stylist, sufficiently secure in her own musical identity not to be intimidated by her great idol. Few singers could dare to take on Strange Fruit—especially accompanied only by guitar— or risk echoing Lady Day’s approach on songs like Trav’lin Light and Them There Eyes, and emerge not merely unscathed, but with her reputation enhanced. She gets wonderful support from Nat Adderley, Lockjaw Davis and Mundell Lowe, while Norman Simmons contributes brilliantly as pianist and arranger. Amid striking performances other standouts include God Bless The Child, Yesterdays and My Man.

PERSONNEL

CARMEN McRAE
sings in all tracks

(1-12): from the album Sings Lover Man’ and other Billie Holiday Classics (Columbia CS8530)
NORMAN SIMMONS, piano
MUNDELL LOWE, guitar
BOB CRANSHAW, bass
WALTER PERKINS, drums

Featuring NAT ADDERLEY (cornet, except on #9 & 10)
and EDDIE "LOCKJAW" DAVIS (tenor sax,  except on #5, 6 & 10).
(4) is a duet with Mundell Lowe on guitar.

Recorded in New York City, June 29 and July 26 (#3, 8, 13), 1961

(13 & 14) were recorded during the above sessions, but are not related to Billie Holiday.
(13) taken from the LP Who’s Who in the Sixties (Columbia CS8565)
(14) taken from the LP Jingle Bell Jazz (Columbia CS8693)

(15-26)
DAVE BRUBECK, piano
GENE WRIGHT, bass
JOE MORELLO, drums
PAUL DESMOND, alto sax.  added on #21)

Recorded in New York City, September 9 (#15-18), 1960, June 21 (#19),
December 15 (#20 & 21), and 19 (#22-25), 1961

(15- 18) taken from the LP Dave Brubeck Quartet Guest Star Carmen McRae Tonight Only! (Col CS8409)
(19) taken from the LP Gold and Fizdale Play Dave Brubeck’s Jazz Ballet Points on Jazz (Col CS8478)
(20)  from the 45 rpm Columbia EP (4-3279)
(21 & 24) from the 45 rpm Columbia EP (4-2292)
(22, 23 & 26) taken from the album The Real Ambassadors (Col OS2250)

(26)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG, trumpet, vocal
TRUMMY YOUNG, trombone
JOE DARENSBOURG, clariinet
DAVE BRUBECK, piano
GENE WRIGHT, bass
DANNY BARCELONA, drums
Recorded in New York City, on September 19, 1961

TRACKS:

01. Them There Eyes (Pinkard-Tracy-Tauber) 2:45
02. Yesterdays (Harbach-Kern) 4:52
03. I’m Gonna Lock My Heart (Eaton-Shand) 2:32
04. Strange Fruit (Allan) 2:46
05. Miss Brown to You (Robin-Whiting-Rainger) 2:27
06. My Man (Pollack-Yvain) 4:05
07. I Cried for You (Freed-Arnheim-Lyman) 2:52
08. Lover Man (Davis-Sherman-Ramirez) 4:18
09. Trav’lin’ Light (Mercer-Mundy-Young) 2:19
10. Some Other Spring (Herzog-Kitchings) 3:02
11. What a Little Moonlight Can Do (Woods) 3:31
12. God Bless the Child (Herzog-Holiday) 3:24
13. If the Moon Turns Green (Hanighen-Cates) 3:28
14. The Christmas Song (Tormé-Wells) 3:54
15. Weep No More (D.& I. Brubeck) 2:49
16. Briar Bush [Southern Scene] (D.& I. Brubeck) 2:54
17. Paradiddle Joe (Morris-Pugsley-Trotta) 2:02
18. Strange Meadowlark (D.& I.Brubeck) 2:38
19. There’ll Be No Tomorrow (D.& I.Brubeck) 4:29
20. It’s a Raggy Waltz (Brubeck) 1:54
21. Take Five (Desmond-I. & D.Brubeck) 2:14
22. In the Lurch (D.& I.Brubeck) 2:29
23. My One Bad Habit (Brubeck-Brubeck-Fitzgerald) 2:37
24. Easy As You Go (D.& I.Brubeck) 1:35
25. Summer Song (D.& I.Brubeck) 2:20
26. Good Reviews (D.& I.Brubeck) 2:05