Carmen Brown

Born in Austin, Texas and raised in Altadena, California, Carmen Bradford grew up with music in her home and in her heart. It was only natural that Carmen would follow in the footsteps of her great family legacy, being the daughter of legendary trumpeter/ composer Bobby Bradford and world renowned vocalist/composer Melba Joyce. Her grandfather Melvin Moore sang with Lucky Millender and Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band in the 1940s and sang with the Ink Spots, making Carmen the third generation of incredible musicians. She has carved out a place in music history for herself and is playing an integral role in this uniquely American art form called jazz. Carmen Bradford is Jazz Royalty.

Carmen McRae was one of the top jazz singers of all time. During the two sessions (dating from 1963 and 1969) that comprise 'Let There Be Love', she was very much in her prime. With John Forbes' new arrangements and orchestrations accompanying her voice, the beauty of McRae's tone, her very original and personal phrasing, and her ability to make every song her own though her subtle improvising are very much in evidence.

Carmen McRae is in great form on these 1957 studio sessions with a jazz group and orchestra conducted by Fred Katz. Her rich voice is never overpowered by the 13 strings, which for the most part stay behind the singer and the jazz instrumentalists. The strongest tracks include a swinging "All the Things You Are" (backed by some interesting writing for the reed section), an unusual treatment of "What's New" (featuring vibraphonist Larry Bunker and Joe Marino on celeste), a particularly dark version of "The Night We Called It a Day" (featuring Katz on cello), and a moving "I Remember Clifford," a fairly new piece which Benny Golson had recently composed following the tragic death of Clifford Brown. Even the obscure songs of these sessions, which include "A Shoulder to Cry On" and "Without a Word of Warning," are worth investigating.

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.

Anders Widmark was born in 1963, in Uppsala, Sweden. At the age of seven he started to compose and improvise on the piano. Many people have been inspired by the piano playing of Anders Widmark. If he plays blues, jazz, songs or house you will find a very personal imprint. According to the National Encyclopedia he was also “one of the first in Sweden at the beginning of 1990 to mix jazz with hip hop and acid jazz”.

Carmen McRae (1922 - 1994) was one of the great jazz vocalists of the 20th century – next to Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Born in Harlem, New York, she played the piano at "Minton's Playhouse” in the 1940s, a club where the young beboppers like Dizzy Gillespie and Carmen's husband-to-be Kenny Clarke developed this new music. Next important career steps were an engagement with the Benny Carter band as a pianist and with Count Basie - as a singer. Having spent four years in Chicago from 1948 on, she finally signed an artist contract in her hometown New York and went on to release twelve albums over the next five years.

Released in 1970, Just a Little Lovin' was the fourth (and last) studio album Carmen McRae cut for Atlantic Records in the late '60s/early '70s. The albums were for the most part a mix of pop and jazz songs with a decidedly pop angle. Just a Little Lovin' isn't too different, though it leans more toward the soulful end of the street. …

This edition combines several outstanding sessions by Carmen McRae – dating between December 1955 and August 1958 – under the musical direction of the brilliant arranger and conductor Ralph Burns. Armed with an orchestra boasting a 10-piece string section, Burns’ subtle and evocative charts provide a strong yet delicate support that gracefully enhances the vocalist’s talents without ever overpowering her.