Search - Carmen McRae :: Here to Stay

A Young and Expressive Carmen

Kenneth James Michael MacLean | Ann Arbor, MI USA | 12/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Carmen McRae has always been my most favorite female jazz vocalist. To my mind, no one expresses the true essence of a song better, no singer ever had such a deft touch, and the ability to communicate this to the listener. Carmen always sang with class and grace, but also with passion and grit, and this is evident throughout this recording of jazz classics. There are 20 tunes on the CD, the first 10 are with a small group, the other 10 with a big band, recorded in the mid to late 50's.
Her voice sounds youthful but mature on these tracks.
This CD is a delight to listen to, and I have listened to it often over the years."

An essential Carmen McRae.

Paul Phelps | Ambler, PA United States | 01/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a jazz collector there are many albums of Carmen McRae that I consider essential and this is one. There's nothing of complaint in this recording, it's completely excellent. (Carmen McRae is of course one of the greats, for those uninformed.) The American songbook is large and Carmen sang a large part of it. It's advisable to choose albums with a minimum of overlap. I don't think this album can be overlooked if one wants these particular tracks. It certainly is a five star album."