Vic Carmen Sonne

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. The addition of guest soloist tenor saxophonist Ben Webster - who for contractual reasons recorded here under the pseudonym "A Tenorman" - brought another dimension to the magical quality of these recordings. His breathy and expressive sound proves the perfect counterpoint to McRae’s versatile and passionate vocal style.

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. Producer Arif Mardin put McRae together with the Dixie Flyers studio band, backup singers extraordinaire the Sweet Inspirations, and an all-star horn section led by King Curtis, and then let her loose on the usual Beatles covers (a lifeless "Something," a very relaxed and sensual "Here, There and Everywhere," and a dramatic take on "Carry That Weight") and pop tunes like Jimmy Webb's "Didn't We" and Laura Nyro's "Goodbye Joe"…

Carmen Lundy has that rare combination of qualities found in great jazz singers: imagination, a superb sense of swing phrasing and improvisation, a broad vocal range with powerful lungs, and a sure grasp of jazz tradition. This Is … features not only Lundy's voice, but also her songwriting, another of her talents. While her lyrics are not always as clever as her music, with its challenging turnarounds and charged interplay, Lundy's baring of her life experiences makes This Is … a record you can sink your ears into. Her band, including brother Curtis Lundy on bass, drummer Ralph Peterson, pianist Anthony Wonsey, and saxophonists Mark Shim and Bobby Watson, can sometimes sound tentative and they are ill-supported by a diaphanous mix. But Carmen and her songs are the stars.

Verve Records releases the latest editions in its breakout Great Women of Song series, which pays homage to the ground-breaking work and lasting impact of some of the greatest female vocalists of all time. Like her idol Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae could own a ballad and make it all her own. She could also swing every bit as hard as her other main influence, Ella Fitzgerald. Coming up during the bebop era and under the musical sway of Thelonious Monk, Carmen made a series of recordings for the Decca label that would cement her reputation and launch a career that close to 50 years. Whether in small groups or backed by a studio orchestra, Carmen McRae recorded definitive versions of songs that make up the backbones of jazz and the Great American Songbook.