CD1
1. Easy to Love
2. If I'm Lucky (I'll Be The One)
3. Old Devil Moon
4. Tip Toe Gently
5. Keep Me In Mind
6. Ooh (What Cha Doin' To Me)
7. They All Laughed
8. If I'm Lucky (I'll Be The One)
9. You Made Me Care
10. Last Time For Love
11. Too Much In Love To Care
12. Misery
13. Get Set
14. Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)
15. Am I The One To Blame
16. You Don't Have To Tell Me
17. A Fine Romance
18. I Go For You
19. Just One Of Those Things
20. Sometimes I'm Happy
21. Something To Live For
22. Love Is Here To Stay
CD2
1. I Can't Get Started
2. This Will Make You Laugh
3. Supper Time
4. My One And Only Love
5. Yardbird Suite
6. Give Me The Simple Life
7. I'll Remember April
8. You Took Advantage Of Me
9. Tonight He's Out To Break Another Heart
10. Come On, Come In
11. The Next Time It Happens
12. Come Down To Earth, Mr Smith
13. Wanting You
14. A Foggy Day
15. Autumn Nocturne
16. In Love In Vain
17. Go Slow
18. Charlie Is My Darling
19.Are You Happy?
20. Oh, My Darling!
21. Pass Me By
Collective personnel
Carmen McRae - Vocals, piano
Mercer Ellington, Larry Elgart, Dave Lambert, Jack Pleis - Bandleaders
Kenny Dorham, Bob Williams, Ray Copeland, Henry Boozier - Trumpets
Ted Kelly, Dan Minor, Charles Stovall - Trombones
Jacky Fields, Curby Alexander - Alto saxes
Freddie Williams, Alva McCain - Tenor saxes
Harry Webster - Baritone sax
Luther Henderson, Dick Katz, Billy Strayhorn - Piano
Bill Pemberton, Wendell Marshall, Percy Heath - Bass
Heywood Jackson, Kenny Clarke, Osie Johnson - Drums
Herbie Mann - Flute, tenor sax
Mat Matthews - Accordion
Mundell Lowe - Guitar
Tony Scott - Clarinet, piano
Sammy Davis Jr. - Vocals
Right from her first record (Pass Me By with Mercer Ellington's orchestra), which unaccountably closes this double album, Carmen McRae displayed a
clear, pure voice with perfect pitch, inventive phrasing and a talent for improvisation. Her models were good ones: Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.
Indeed, she often sounds like Sarah Vaughan on this compilation, which illustrates her early style.
The album title may be misleading, as it doesn't include McRae's complete recordings from 1946 to 1955. It omits a 1948 recording session with Charlie
Parker which is referred to in the sleeve-note and which included an earlier version of Yardbird Suite than the 1955 recording which is
present here. Many of the songs are jazz standards, but there are also some interesting unfamiliar items, such as Supper Time, which exemplifies
Carmen's ability to deliver a sad song, as well as her ability as a pianist.
A Fine Romance
and I Go For You are duets with Sammy Davis Jr., who puts across the songs with typical melodrama. Tip Toe Gently includes a fine
tenor-sax solo by Herbie Mann, who is better known as a flautist. Tony Scott's clarinet comes through clearly on tracks 9 to 11 of the first CD, and he
accompanies Carmen on piano in Misery. Billy Strayhorn makes a brief appearance on piano, accompanying Carmen in his own composition, Something To Live For.
The album comes with a 36-page booklet (half of it in French), attractively illustrated with photos and album covers. It's a mystery to me why the tracks
are not exactly in chronological order.
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk
CD Reviews
Le Chant du Monde 
