Carmen McRae – The Singles & Albums Collection – 1946-58 – 4CD

Carmen McRae was one of the finest and most highly-regarded jazz and sophisticated pop singers of the post-war era, renowned for her highly individual interpretation of the standards of the Great American Songbook. Born in Harlem of Jamaican parentage in 1920, she performed in New York’s jazz clubs in the 1940s and made her first record until 1946. This great-value 97-track 4-CD set comprises her first release on Musicraft with Mercer Ellington, plus A&B sides of her singles on the Stardust and Decca labels through to 1958, including her releases with Sammy Davis Jr., and which include the titles from her “A Foggy Day” album for Stardust, plus all the titles from her albums “Carmen McRae” on Bethlehem, and “Torchy”, “By Special Request”, “Blue Moon” and “Afterglow” on Decca. It includes her chart entries from this era “Next Time It Happens” and “Skyliner”. On these recordings, she is accompanied by orchestras arranged and conducted by Jack Pleis, Tadd Dameron, Vic Shoen and Ralph Burns, and star-studded jazz groups led by Mat Mathews and Tony Scott. It’s a substantial and thoroughly absorbing overview of the first key decade and more of her career when she established herself as a highly distinctive and supremely talented vocal stylist across the jazz and pop spectrum.

CD1:
Mercer Ellington & His Orchestra with Carmen McRae: 1. Pass Me By -   Carmen McRae: 2. Autumn Nocturne -   3. In Love In Vain -   4. A Foggy Day -   5. Wanting You -   6. Go Slow -   7. Charlie Is My Darling -   8. Are You Happy? -   9. Oh, My Darling! -   10. Ooh (What'cha Doin' To Me) -   11. If I'm Lucky -   12. Keep Me In Mind -   13. They All Laughed -   14. Whatever Lola Wants -   15. Am I The One To Blame -   16. Get Set -   17. You Don't Have To Tell Me -   Sammy Davis Jr. & Carmen McRae: 18. I Go For You -   19. A Fine Romance -   Carmen McRae: 20. Love Is Here To Stay -   21. This Will Make You Laugh -   22. The Next Time It Happens -   23. Come On, Come In -   24. Come Down To Earth, Mr. Smith -   25. I Guess I'll Dress Up For The Blues -   26. Tonight He's Out To Break Another Heart -

CD2:
Carmen McRae: 1. Star Eyes -   2. Never Loved Him Anyhow -   3. You Don't Know Me -   4. Skyliner -   5. If You Should Leave Me -   6. Namely You -   7. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket -   8. The Party’s Over -   9. I'm A Dreamer, Aren't We All -   10. It's Like Getting A Donkey To Gallop -   11. How Many Stars Have To Shine ? -   Sammy Davis Jr. & Carmen McRae: 12. Baby It's Cold Outside -   13. Happy To Make Your Acquaintance -   Carmen McRae: 14. As I Love You -   15. Passing Fancy -   16. So Nice To Be Wrong -   17. Moonray -   18. Invitation -   19. Lo And Behold -   20. I Love The Ground You Walk On -   21. I'll Love You (Till I Die) -   22. Easy To Love -   23. Old Devil Moon -

CD3:
Carmen McRae: 1. If I'm Lucky -   2. Tip Toe Gently -   3. You Made Me Care -   4. Last Time For Love -   5. Misery -   6. Last Night When We Were Young - 7.   Speak Low (When You Speak, Love) -   8. But Beautiful -   9. If You'd Stay The Way I Dream About You -   10. Midnight Sun -   11. My Future Just Passed -   12. Yesterdays -   13. We'll Be Together Again -   14. Good Morning, Heartache -   15. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You -   16. Give Me The Simple Life -   17. Sometimes I'm Happy -   18. Something To Live For -   19. I Can't Get Started -   20. Yardbird Suite -   21. Just One Of Those Things -   22. My One And Only Love -   23. I'll Remember April -   24. Supper Time -   25. You Took Advantage Of Me -

CD4:
Carmen McRae: 1. Blue Moon -   2. My Foolish Heart -   3. I Was Doing All Right -   4. Summer Is Gone -   5. Nowhere -   6. Until The Real Thing Comes Along -   7. Lush Life -   8. Even If It Breaks My Heart -   9. Laughing Boy -   10. Lilacs In The Rain -   11. All This Could Lead To Love -   12. I Can't Escape You -   13. Guess Who I Saw Today -   14. My Funny Valentine -   15. The Little Things That Mean So Much -   16. I'm Thru With Love -   17. Nice Work If You Can Get It -   18. East Of The Sun -   19. Exactly Like You -   20. All My Life -   21. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea -   22. Dream Of Life -   23. Perdido -