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Tough, tender, sassy, sardonic, Carmen McRae (1920-94) made every song she sang her own. Influenced by her friend Billie Holiday, her poise and musicality made her a musician's favourite. Geoffrey Smith surveys a rare vocal artist.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 24 Mar 201900:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Carmen McRae

    Yardbird Suite

    Performer: Mundell Lowe. Performer: Kenny Clarke. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Mat Mathews. Performer: Wendell Marshall. Performer: Herbie Mann.
    • BY SPECIAL REQUEST.
    • BRUNSWICK.
    • 6.

  • Carmen McRae

    I'm Thru With Love

    Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Specs Wright. Performer: Specs Wright.
    • After Glow.
    • Decca.
    • 5.

  • Carmen McRae

    Exactly Like You

    Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Specs Wright. Performer: Specs Wright.
    • After Glow.
    • Decca.
    • 8.

  • Carmen McRae

    Dream of Life

    Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Ray Bryant. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Ike Isaacs. Performer: Specs Wright. Performer: Specs Wright.
    • After Glow.
    • Decca.
    • 11.

  • Carmen McRae

    Baltimore Oriole

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ben Webster.
    • BIRDS OF A FEATHER.
    • VERVE.
    • 8.

  • Carmen McRae

    Love Is A Simple Thing

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ernie Wilkins.
    • Something To Swing About.
    • Kapp.
    • 7.

  • Carmen McRae

    Them There Eyes

    Performer: Bob Cranshaw. Performer: Mundell Lowe. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Lockjaw Davis. Performer: Norman Simmons. Performer: Walter Perkins.
    • CARMEN MCRAE SINGS LOVER MAN AND OTHER BILLIE HOLIDAY CLASSICS.
    • Essential Jazz Classics.
    • 1.

  • Carmen McRae

    Trav'lin' Light

    Performer: Mundell Lowe. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Lockjaw Davis.
    • Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics.
    • Essential Jazz Classics.
    • 9.

  • Carmen McRae

    Guess Who I Saw Today

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Ed Bennett. Performer: Joey Baron. Performer: Marshall Otwell. Performer: Marshall Otwell.
    • Carmen McRae at Ratso's.
    • Hitchcock Media Records.
    • 12.

  • Carmen McRae

    Just You, Just Me

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: John Leftwich. Performer: Donald Bailey. Performer: John Colllins. Performer: Marshall Otwell.
    • You're Lookin' At Me.
    • CONCORD JAZZ.
    • 10.

  • Carmen McRae & Betty Carter

    Stolen Moments (You Belong To Her)

    Performer: Winard Harper. Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Eric Gunnison. Performer: Jim Hughart.
    • Our Favourite Things: 16 Classic Female Vocal Performances.
    • Spectrum.
    • 2.

  • Carmen McRae

    Reflections (Looking Back)

    Performer: Carmen McRae. Performer: Carmen McRae.
    • CARMEN SINGS MONK.
    • BLUEBIRD.
    • 10.

Carmen McRae

TITLE YARDBIRD SUITE

Artists: Carmen McRae & Mat Matthews Quintet

Composers: Charlie Parker

Album Title: By Special Request

Label: BRUNSWICK: LAT-8104

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Mat Matthews (accordion); Herbie Mann (flute); Mundell Lowe (guitar); Wendell Marshall (bass); Kenny Clarke ( drums)

TITLE I’M THROUGH WITH LOVE

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Joseph A 'fud' Livingston / Matt Malneck / Gus Kahn

Album Title: After Glow

Label: Decca: DL 8583

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Ray Bryant (piano); Ike Isaacs (bass); Specs Wright (drums )

TITLE EXACTLY LIKE YOU

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields

Album Title: After Glow

Label: Decca: DL 8583

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal & piano); Ike Isaacs (bass); Specs Wright (drums )

TITLE DREAM OF LIFE

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Carmen McRae

Album Title: After Glow

Label: Decca: DL 8583

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Ray Bryant (piano); Ike Isaacs (bass); Specs Wright (drums )

TITLE BALTIMORE ORIOLE

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Hoagy Carmichael / Paul Francis Webster

Album Title: Birds of a Feather

Label: VERVE: 589-5152

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Ben Webster (tenor sax); Orchestra Directed by Ralph Burns

TITLE LOVE IS A SIMPLE THING

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: June Carroll/Arthur Siegel

Album Title: Something To Swing About

Label: Kapp: KS-3053

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Ernie Wilkins (arranger)

TITLE THEM THERE EYES

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Maceo Pinkard / Doris Tauber / William Tracy

Album Title: Sings Lover Man And Other Billie Holiday Classics

Label: Columbia /Legacy ‎– CK 65115

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Eddie Lockjaw Davis (tenor sax); Nat Adderley (cornet); Norman Simmons (piano); Bob Cranshaw( bass); Mundell Lowe (guitar); Walter Perkins (drums)

TITLE TRAV’LIN LIGHT

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Johnny Mercer /Jimmy Mundy / Terry Young

Album Title: Sings Lover Man And Other Billie Holiday Classics

Label: Columbia /Legacy ‎– CK 65115

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Eddie Lockjaw Davis (tenor sax); Nat Adderley (cornet); Norman Simmons (piano); Bob Cranshaw( bass); Mundell Lowe (guitar); Walter Perkins (drums)

TITLE YESTERDAYS

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Jerome Kern / Otto Harbach

Album Title: Sings Lover Man And Other Billie Holiday Classics

Label: Columbia /Legacy ‎– CK 65115

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Eddie Lockjaw Davis (tenor sax); Nat dderley (cornet); Norman Simmons (piano); Bob Cranshaw( bass); Mundell Lowe (guitar); Walter Perkins (drums)

TITLE GUESS WHO I SAW TODAY

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Elisse Boyd / Murray Grand

Album Title: Carmen McRae at Ratso's

Label: Hitchcock Media Records: CD-0809V2

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Marshall Otwell (piano); Ed Bennett (bass); Joey Baron (drums)

TITLE POOR BUTTERFLY

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: John Golden / Raymond Hubbell

Album Title: Sarah-Dedicated To You

Label: BLUEBIRD: 82876-52441 2

Performers: Marshall Otwell (piano); John Gianelli (bass); Joey Baron (drums)

TITLE JUST YOU, JUST ME

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Jesse Greer/Raymond Klages

Album Title: You're Lookin' At Me

Label: Concord Records ‎– CCD-4235

Performers: Marshall Otwell (piano); John Colllins (guitar); John Leftwich (bass); Donald Bailey (drums)

TITLE STOLEN MOMENTS (YOU BELONG TO HER)

Artists: Carmen McRae/Betty Carter

Composers: Oliver Edward Nelson/Ann Fisher

Album Title: Our Favourite Things: 16 Classic Female Vocal Performances

Label: Spectrum: 552-640-2

Performers: Betty Carter and Carmen McRae (vocals); Eric Gunnison (piano); Jim Hughart (bass); Winard Harper (drums)

TITLE REFLECTIONS (LOOKING BACK)

Artists: Carmen McRae

Composers: Thelonious Monk/ Jon Hendricks

Album Title: Carmen Sings Monk

Label: BLUEBIRD: 09026-638412

Performers: Carmen McRae (vocal); Eric Gunnison (piano); Clifford Jordan (soprano sax); George Mraz (bass); Al Foster (drums)

Broadcasts

  • Sun 8 Mar 201500:00
    BBC Radio 3
  • Sun 24 Mar 201900:00
    BBC Radio 3

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    Geoffrey Smith's Jazz - a weekly sequence exploring what makes great jazz great music