Jazz for aficionados

Re Carmen McRae, Schubert’s observation about her young voice and related recent topics:

Clearly one of the great and true Jazz divas, McRae was more than just a great singer. While much is made, sometimes deservedly so, of the fact that some singers played piano, the fact is that many other great singers also played piano and sometimes chose to focus on singing; or, being performers after all, felt that they better presented themselves by not sitting behind the instrument. Carmen McRae got her start as a pianist and she was a good one.

As Schubert points out her young voice was truly beautiful and clear. I also liked the change in her voice as she (and her voice) matured; a change in timbre not unlike the one that Sarah Vaughn’s voice underwent. There truly was something special in the sound of a young Carmen. Adding to a man

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0h3evZg5WFo

She was also a composer. One of her admitted most important influences was Billie Holiday. While many singers, out of respect or ego, make a point of not singing songs made popular by other singers, Carmen made a point of singing at least one of Billie Holiday’s songs in each of her live sets. This is one of McRae’s compositions which, interestingly, Billie Holiday herself recorded. Obviously, there was a lot of mutual respect:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OrnF6pMKp_w

We recently looked at the Francy Boland/Kenny Clarke Big Band. Carmen McRae was married to Kenny Clarke for a few years and for a while worked as pianist with the name Carmen Clarke. She was featured as vocalist with that band:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7tB7_trSQYI

Playing piano as well as singing, here is a more mature Carmen. Richer voice and in some ways a more self assured stylist. Excellent piano playing:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KGUxPneG8vA

Regardless of the time in her career, always a treat to listen to. One of my very favorite renditions of this classic:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBhrzzfg9Y

**** Adding to a man **** ?????

Funny, I was going to edit my post to acknowledge acman3’s clips at the precise moment in time, apparently, that my post became ”uneditable”. Amazing; the digital gremlins at work, and they allowed only some of the data through.

Btw, the wonderful piano accompaniment on “My Funny Valentine” is by the great Ray Bryant.

Her early voice was even much better than on the clip Frogman gave us .At one time I had the first  recording she ever made, if memoryserves me right(which it often does not) it was made right after WW II .I believe there is a CD of it.

Would love to hear that, Schubert.  Be sure to post if you ever come across it.  Thanks.  

Here you go, Schubert. Her first recording according to her official website. 1946, with the Mercer Ellington Orchestra. You are correct; beautiful clarity in her voice. Just beautiful. I suppose it’s not uncommon for all voices to lose some of that beautiful youthful timbral clarity as the body ages; while also gaining artistic clarity (Sometimes, and the goal for all true artists as you know; definitely in her case, imo). Interesting to me is that one of the most obvious differences is the absence of the nasality that one would hear more and more of as she aged. Not unlike a prominent quality in Billie Holiday’s voice...her admitted main influence.

http://www.carmenmcrae.com/PASS%20ME%20BY.mp3

http://www.carmenmcrae.com/RECORDINGS1940s50s.htm