Customer Reviews

Blue Moon

5 star:		(3)
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"Blue Moon" was conceived as an eight-song album of standards, and that is the way it was released as a two-record 45 p.m. extended play set, with the songs in exactly the order they wee recorded at the first two of three sessions. The last session, of new material, was intended to fill out the program for the 12 songs need for an LP and they were to have followed the standards. But then it was decided for the LP to mix the music from all three sessions and, as a result, the LP version didn't come near to the perfection and intensity of the EP version. With the CD, of course, anyone can recreate te original album as it was intended to be presented by programming the songs in order of recording. This is a shiny bright set, crisply arranged with large ensembles and Carmen at the top of her form vocally and stylistically. The remastering is terrific. I'm increasingly distressed by the fact the folks working on these reissues and doing the notes don't really know much about the albums (the Chris Connor Bethlehem releases being the worst examples; the histories of the albums are all mixed up) and sort of glean what they can from a distance. There's no clue in the repackaging of the interesting dual history of "Blue Moon." It is a wonderful album especially programmed as it was originally to have been presented.

As an artist, you can always count on Carmen McRea to deliver thoughtful, poignant and consistantly tasteful performances. Blue Moon is no exception. With outstanding arrangements by the inimitable Pete Ruggelo, choice compostions by some of the greatest American song writers of all time and the breathtaking pipes of the late great Carmen, this album is sure not to disappoint. Pick it if only for her sensitive and heartfelt reading of Lush Life, the Billy Strayhorn masterpiece.

Another prime example of how Carmen Mcrae's Decca period was the best that pop & jazz singing could be. She may not have been better than Eydie Gorme or Sarah Vaughan but here she ranked along side them. Mcrae's intellignece, good taste (excellant song selection), phrasing, mellow range, & of course, dramatics made this one of the best albums of all time. This should have had the fame of LADY IN SATIN! The unkown songs, Nowhere & All This Could Lead To Love, & overly done Blue Moon are 3 prime reasons to buy this! The Rodgers & Hart classic is my least favorite tune of theirs but Carmen some how made it bright, shiny, artistic & new. The moderately famous I Was Doing All Right, I'm Putting All My Eggs, & Lush Life were 3 more examples of how Carmen improved on songs done by others by singing them in a fresh way. Every song except Liliacs In The Rain was A+, that song was only B+. This album reaked with excellance. So if one wants an album that contains a lot of unfamiliar must have songs, this is it. Actually, her BIRDS OF A FEATHER for Decca should be ranked 6 star. There were so many 1950's Decca of Carmen. I only know of these 2. I do know of 5 star song selections from her other Decca albums, but, if I heard the entire albums, I would then bankrupt myself buying them all! ACTUALLY, I LOVE EVERY SINGLE CARMEN DECCA TRACK I'VE HEARD!