Search - Dave Brubeck, Carmen McRae :: Take Five

I'm 29, had it on vinyl since I was 16...wish I could find i

M. Burress | Cincinnati, OH United States | 02/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Where do I begin? I have had a small vinyl collection since my early teens...mostly 60s and 70s rock. When a friend presented me with the option to have some vinyls that her uncle was giving away, I gravitated toward this one for some reason even though I was unfamiliar with Dave Brubeck and Carmen McRae (sinful, I know!). I also picked up Fats Domino and some Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and C,S,N & Y). Which album got the most wear? Throughout highschool, college, and now adulthood this has remained one of my absolute favorites.



This recording is entrancing. You play it, sit back and relax...possibly with a small mixed drink, and you feel like you're there listening to Dave Brubeck and Carmen McRae Live. The background noise isn't distracting at all but adds to the incredible live atmosphere feeling. You hear a slight murmur of conversations, some glasses clinking...and you can almost see a haze of smoke in your mind as you listen to these amazing songs.



I wish dearly that I could get this album on CD because my vinyl is definitely getting worn from all the play...plus, I honestly don't use my turntable as much these days...it skips too much when I try to take it in my car on long trips (kidding!).



Anyway, this is the supreme pinnacle of Dave Brubeck and Carmen McRae. I would love to hear more recordings of the two of them together. If you're a fan of either, you're sure to love this album. To me, Raggy Waltz and Take Five just don't sound the same without Carmen McRae's voice (though I still like the instrumental versions.)



Any hints on how to get this album on CD would be appreciated. Until then, I'll play my vinyl as long as it will keep playing."

Dave Brubeck's Masterpieces by the Master McRae with Brubeck

Carlos from Rio | Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil | 02/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
This is simply Ms. Carmen McRae singing the music of Dave Brubeck with the classic Dave Brubeck Quartet featuring Paul Desmond in a live recording!



Pure artistry! Master command!



You'll find here all those incredible Brubeck's waltzes 'Take Five', It's A Raggy Waltz' and more ... 'In Your Own Sweet Way' ... 'Ode to A Cowboy' ... the wonderful ballad 'There'll Be No Tomorrow' ... all with surprisingly great lyrics by his wife Iola Brubeck.



I have treasured my vinyl album until today and prayed that sleepy Sony/Columbia will issue a CD of it some day."

Gorgeous Intelligent Singing Meets Brilliant Lyrics

Sarah E. Mckibben | South Bend, IN, USA | 12/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Carmen McRae was one of the most nuanced and insightful of singers: big, beautiful voice with a canny wit, impeccable musicianship, stunning range. This album marries her stellar qualities with beautiful playing by Dave Brubeck and a restrained crew backing him along with AMAZING lyrics by Dave and Iola Brubeck to the songs that Carmen and Dave picked out. The result is incredibly moving and deep -- a tender song about a little boy playing cowboy ("Ode to a Cowboy"), a stormy address to a girl who is afraid to love ("Melanctha"), mature, aching heartbreak about the end of love ("They'll Be No Tomorrow"), a wry vision of the endless travelling of the musician ("Travelling Blues"), the delightful, musically challenging tease of a song about being teased ("It's a Raggy Waltz")...: every song on this album is a winner, and the whole is arranged to make a complete show. Imagine having been at the live show! Amazing! In fact, you can hear those lucky audience members chatting away, clinking their glasses, etc. It is a source of great joy to me that after all these years this album is finally out on CD, though I'm keeping my vinyl too!"