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Carmen McRae

Tough, tender, sassy, sardonic, Carmen McRae (1920-94) made every song she sang her own. Influenced by her friend Billie Holiday, her poise and musicality made her a musician's favourite. Geoffrey Smith surveys a rare vocal artist.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 24 Mar 2019 00:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Carmen McRae

    Yardbird Suite

    Performer: Mundell Lowe. Performer: Kenny Clarke. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Mat Mathews. Performer: Wendell Marshall. Performer: Herbie Mann.
    • BY SPECIAL REQUEST.
    • BRUNSWICK.
    • 6.

  • Carmen McRae

    I'm Thru With Love

    Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Specs Wright. Performer: Specs Wright.
    • After Glow.
    • Decca.
    • 5.

  • Carmen McRae

    Exactly Like You

    Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Specs Wright. Performer: Specs Wright.
    • After Glow.
    • Decca.
    • 8.

  • Carmen McRae

    Dream of Life

    Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Specs Wright. Performer: Specs Wright.
    • After Glow.
    • Decca.
    • 11.

  • Carmen McRae

    Baltimore Oriole

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ben Webster.
    • BIRDS OF A FEATHER.
    • VERVE.
    • 8.

  • Carmen McRae

    Love Is A Simple Thing

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ernie Wilkins.
    • Something To Swing About.
    • Kapp.
    • 7.

  • Carmen McRae

    Them There Eyes

    Performer: Bob Cranshaw. Performer: Mundell Lowe. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Lockjaw Davis. Performer: Norman Simmons. Performer: Walter Perkins.
    • CARMEN MCRAE SINGS LOVER MAN AND OTHER BILLIE HOLIDAY CLASSICS.
    • Essential Jazz Classics.
    • 1.

  • Carmen McRae

    Trav'lin' Light

    Performer: Mundell Lowe. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Lockjaw Davis.
    • Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics.
    • Essential Jazz Classics.
    • 9.

  • Carmen McRae

    Guess Who I Saw Today

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ed Bennett. Performer: Joey Baron. Performer: Marshall Otwell. Performer: Marshall Otwell.
    • Carmen McRae at Ratso's.
    • Hitchcock Media Records.
    • 12.

  • Carmen McRae

    Just You, Just Me

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: John Leftwich. Performer: Donald Bailey. Performer: John Colllins. Performer: Marshall Otwell.
    • You're Lookin' At Me.
    • CONCORD JAZZ.
    • 10.

  • Carmen McRae & Betty Carter

    Stolen Moments (You Belong To Her)

    Performer: Winard Harper. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Eric Gunnison. Performer: Jim Hughart.
    • Our Favourite Things: 16 Classic Female Vocal Performances.
    • Spectrum.
    • 2.

  • Carmen McRae

    Reflections (Looking Back)

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Carmen McRae.
    • CARMEN SINGS MONK.
    • BLUEBIRD.
    • 10.

Carmen McRae

TITLE                  YARDBIRD SUITE

Artists:                 Carmen McRae & Mat Matthews Quintet

Composers:        Charlie Parker

Album Title:        By Special Request

Label:                  BRUNSWICK: LAT-8104

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Mat Matthews (accordion);  Herbie Mann (flute); Mundell Lowe (guitar); Wendell Marshall (bass); Kenny Clarke ( drums)

 

TITLE                   I’M THROUGH WITH LOVE

Artists:                  Carmen McRae

Composers:        Joseph A 'fud' Livingston / Matt Malneck / Gus Kahn

Album Title:        After Glow

Label:                  Decca: DL 8583

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Ray Bryant (piano); Ike Isaacs (bass);  Specs Wright (drums )

 

 

TITLE                  EXACTLY LIKE YOU

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields      

Album Title:        After Glow

Label:                 Decca: DL 8583

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal & piano);  Ike Isaacs (bass);  Specs Wright (drums )

 

TITLE                  DREAM OF LIFE

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        Carmen McRae

Album Title:        After Glow

Label:                 Decca: DL 8583

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Ray Bryant (piano); Ike Isaacs (bass);  Specs Wright (drums )

 

TITLE                  BALTIMORE ORIOLE

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        Hoagy Carmichael / Paul Francis Webster

Album Title:        Birds of a Feather

Label:                  VERVE: 589-5152

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Ben Webster (tenor sax);  Orchestra Directed by Ralph Burns

 

TITLE                  LOVE IS A SIMPLE THING

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        June Carroll/Arthur Siegel

Album Title:        Something To Swing About

Label:                  Kapp: KS-3053

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Ernie Wilkins (arranger)

 

TITLE                  THEM THERE EYES

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        Maceo Pinkard / Doris Tauber / William Tracy

Album Title:        Sings Lover Man And Other Billie Holiday Classics

Label:                  Columbia /Legacy ‎– CK 65115

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Eddie Lockjaw Davis (tenor sax); Nat Adderley (cornet); Norman Simmons (piano); Bob Cranshaw( bass);  Mundell Lowe (guitar); Walter Perkins (drums)

 

TITLE                   TRAV’LIN LIGHT

Artists:                  Carmen McRae

Composers:        Johnny Mercer /Jimmy Mundy / Terry Young

Album Title:        Sings Lover Man And Other Billie Holiday Classics

Label:                  Columbia /Legacy ‎– CK 65115

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Eddie Lockjaw Davis (tenor sax); Nat Adderley (cornet); Norman Simmons (piano); Bob Cranshaw( bass);  Mundell Lowe (guitar); Walter Perkins (drums)

 

TITLE                  YESTERDAYS

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        Jerome Kern / Otto Harbach 

Album Title:        Sings Lover Man And Other Billie Holiday Classics

Label:                  Columbia /Legacy ‎– CK 65115

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Eddie Lockjaw Davis (tenor sax); Nat dderley (cornet); Norman Simmons (piano); Bob Cranshaw( bass);  Mundell Lowe (guitar); Walter Perkins (drums)

 

TITLE                  GUESS WHO I SAW TODAY

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        Elisse Boyd / Murray Grand

Album Title:        Carmen McRae at Ratso's

Label:                  Hitchcock Media Records: CD-0809V2

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Marshall Otwell (piano); Ed Bennett (bass); Joey Baron (drums)

 

TITLE                  POOR BUTTERFLY

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        John Golden / Raymond Hubbell

Album Title:        Sarah-Dedicated To You

Label:                  BLUEBIRD: 82876-52441 2

Performers:       Marshall Otwell (piano); John Gianelli (bass);  Joey Baron (drums)

 

TITLE                  JUST YOU, JUST ME

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        Jesse Greer/Raymond Klages

Album Title:        You're Lookin' At Me

Label:                  Concord Records ‎– CCD-4235

Performers:       Marshall Otwell (piano);  John Colllins (guitar);  John Leftwich (bass);  Donald Bailey (drums)

 

TITLE                  STOLEN MOMENTS (YOU BELONG TO HER)

Artists:                 Carmen McRae/Betty Carter

Composers:        Oliver Edward Nelson/Ann Fisher

Album Title:        Our Favourite Things: 16 Classic Female Vocal Performances

Label:                  Spectrum: 552-640-2

Performers:       Betty Carter and Carmen McRae (vocals);  Eric Gunnison (piano);  Jim Hughart (bass); Winard Harper (drums)

 

TITLE                  REFLECTIONS (LOOKING BACK)

Artists:                 Carmen McRae

Composers:        Thelonious Monk/ Jon Hendricks

Album Title:        Carmen Sings Monk

Label:                 BLUEBIRD: 09026-638412

Performers:       Carmen McRae (vocal); Eric Gunnison (piano); Clifford Jordan (soprano sax); George Mraz (bass); Al Foster (drums)

Broadcasts

  • Sun 8 Mar 2015 00:00
    BBC Radio 3
  • Sun 24 Mar 2019 00:00
    BBC Radio 3

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