Carmen

Avid Jazz presents four classic Carmen McRae albums including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. “Torchy”; “After Glow”; “Mad About The Man” and “Birds Of A Feather”. By way of introduction to the release by our latest female artist, Carmen McRae, here is a quote from the original liner notes from “After Glow” the third selection in our four album, 2CD set. “Every so often the public is treated to an entertainer who is in some way special-not merely talented, but delightfully unusual. Lovely Carmen McRea is just such an entertainer. A vocal paradox, Carmen’s extraordinary voice is at once strong and confident, yet soft and tender”.Across these four releases you will witness not only the superb singing of the wonderful Ms. McRae but also her instrumental artistry. All four albums have been digitally re-mastered.

Carmen achieved far greater success with his debut solo album than he ever had with his old group, The Raspberries. In part this was because, freed from the restrictions of leading a rock band, he could indulge his taste in big, lush ballads. That's what he did here, especially on the album's three Top 40 hits, one of which, "All by Myself," was a gold-selling #2 hit.

Tutta la carriera, dal debutto a Sanremo giovani del ’95 con “Quello che sento” fino ai successi dell'ultimo album “L’abitudine di tornare”, in 57 grandissimi brani.

After three decades of Carmen in opéra comique-style, each one offering its own brand of authenticity, here we are back in the 19th century with the old grand opera version, with the Guiraud recitatives, tacked on after Bizet’s death. This was the way Carmen was usually performed until the 1950s, when producers and scholars started to reconsider the original.

Carmen McRae, a good friend of Thelonious Monk, sang 13 of his songs (two of which are also heard in different live versions) on this memorable project. Half of the lyrics are by Jon Hendricks, while the remainder were written by Abbey Lincoln ("Blue Monk"), Bernie Hanighen, Sally Swisher, or Mike Ferro. On all but the two concert performances, McRae is assisted by tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan, pianist Eric Gunnison, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Al Foster; Mraz's solos are particularly impressive, although everyone is in sensitive form. The live recordings give listeners two more chances to acknowledge the uniqueness of tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse's tone. As for McRae, her phrasing has rarely sounded better than on this classic set, and it is a particular pleasure to hear her interpret the intelligent lyrics and unusual melodies…