Customer Reviews

Art of Carmen Mcrae: For Once in My Life

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Fresh from success with definitive version of "Alfie", Miss McRae signed to the legendary Atlantic Records to record six of the best albums ever to be recorded by a female "jazz" vocalist and among the finest of her brilliant career. Carmen McRae awesome Atlantic Records debut was recorded in England with Johnny Keating arranging a diverse collection of songs all given masterful readings by Miss McRae, clearly in peak vocal form throughout this sublime set of peerless performances. Opening with a glorious version of "For Once In My Life", clearly this is going to be a magical and satisfying listening experience unlike any other. Hauntingly romantic is Carmen in the sublime "Don't Talk" and vocal magnificence make "Until It's Time For You To Go" the definitive version of this great classic. Carmen earlier had recorded a memorable version of "And I Love Him" and here does a stirring and soulful "Got To Get You Into My Life" showing Carmen equally commanding with rhythm numbers as with ballads. Genuine pathos create a stunning "Our Song" while excitement in new romance is exhilarating in "Come Live With Me". Lushly gorgeous is a wonderful take on Burt Bacharach classic "The Look Of Love" while a Johnny Keating original "It's Not Going That Way" is one of Carmen's most heartfelt and beautifully melancholy vocals ever that will spin around in your head long after its over! "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" is a Beach Boys song that is so perfect for Carmen that it is hard to imagine that it wasn't written specially for her as she turns this song inside out and completely owns it. Romantic and passionate is the whirling "World's Of Time" while Carmen soars and makes a classic out of Leiber-Stoller gem "Flying". Never has an artist and material been more perfectly matched than Carmen McRae is in this extraordinary classic vocal album which is a must have for any who love a great singer in peak form. Luckily the second disc in this tremendous collection is a "Best Of" from Carmen's six-year stint with Atlantic Records and selections are perfection. As a fan from this wondrous period who had the pleasure of experiencing Carmen in Concert numerous times from 1967 to 1991, couldn't have made better selections. Highlights fill the generous seventy-plus minutes on this disc and "Didn't We" with guitar only with Carmen from the classic "Just A Little Lovin'" album is sublime and unforgettable. Classic songs like "Day By Day" have never been better and stunning originals like Al Cooper's funky "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" will amaze and surprise listeners who think of Carmen as an "old school" jazz singer! Carmen was adventuresome like Peggy Lee and Nancy Wilson who often stretched from tight boundries the traditional jazz community tried to hold them to and did amazing and inspired work showing how incredibly creative is the artistry of these great ladies. Many times over the years reading negative reviews about how this type of material was "wrong" for Carmen, Nancy, and Peggy Lee, always felt the opposite was true and that it was really so right and satisfying as this "Baby Boomer" always preferred more daring works from these extraordinary vocal artists who define what a classic "Diva" and great singer are all about. Funky fun is Carmen in the rowdy "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco" and supremely magnificant with definitive version of "Here, There And Everywhere" that must have made Lennon and McCartney smile. A haunting and dark "Gloomy Sunday" is a chilling magnificent performance and "Elusive Butterfly" takes flight becoming a complete tour-de-force with a magically enchanting vocal that is peak here and throughout this great collection of masterful performances. Enjoy as this is truly "The Art Of Singing" in its greatest form...thank you Carmen McRae & RIP great lady!

Yet another gem from the voice of Ms. Carmen McRae. This is something of a compilation album and has two different titled CDs. The first (The Art of...) is much longer while the later (For Once In My Life) is a little better. Of course that is based on nothing more than a preference for the material in the second album. All around this is an excellent group of work. It seems to cover a time period from the late 1960's to the mid 1970's. McRae does covers of many of the leading artists and song writters of the day with the kind of aplomb that would lead one to believe she could have easily written them herself or at least lived through simular events. Some are jazzy and fun while others are heart breakingly beautiful in their saddness. This is the kind of collection anyone who likes this kind of music should have. All extremely well done. Ms. McRae never ceases to live up to and go way beyond the material. To make matters even better it is EXCELLENT value for the money. I would whole heartedly suggest that you want this album!

This album gives the world a glimpse of how lyrics of any song should be sung. She was a true master. Her phrasing has been unsurpassed by any other female singer that I've heard. Close your eyes, sit back and enjoy.