{"title":"Carmen McRae","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eCarmen McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz vocalist and pianist who grew from an early emulation of Billie Holiday to become a distinctive stylist, known for her smoky contralto voice and her melodic variations on jazz standards. Considered by jazz aficionados to be among the top ten female vocalists of all time, McRae's distinctive behind-the-beat phrasing, impeccable vocal control, and witty, sometimes acerbic way of conveying a lyric set her apart as a singularly great singer.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"carmen-mcrae-the-sound-of-silence-japanese-atlantic-vinyl-lp-gatefold","title":"Carmen McRae - The Sound Of Silence (Japanese Atlantic Vinyl LP Gatefold)","description":"\u003cp class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"\u003eOne of jazz's most sophisticated and emotionally astute vocalists, Carmen McRae delivers a masterclass in interpretive singing on \u003cem\u003eThe Sound Of Silence\u003c\/em\u003e, an album that finds her tackling a diverse repertoire ranging from Duke Ellington standards to contemporary pop material. This 1969 Japanese pressing, the first Japanese release officially licensed by Atlantic Records and manufactured by Nippon Grammophon on their green and light blue label, captures McRae's artistry in a beautifully presented gatefold edition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"\u003eThe album's title track, Simon \u0026amp; Garfunkel's \"The Sound Of Silence\", demonstrates McRae's remarkable ability to take popular songs and transform them into jazz vehicles without losing their essential character. Similarly, her interpretation of Jimmy Webb's sprawling \"MacArthur Park\" is audacious and successful, proof that McRae could inhabit virtually any material and make it her own. These contemporary choices sit comfortably alongside timeless standards like Ellington's \"I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good\", Hoagy Carmichael's \"Stardust\", and the Hungarian suicide song \"Gloomy Sunday\", which McRae performs with haunting restraint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"\u003eWhat sets McRae apart from many of her contemporaries is her musician's approach to singing. Her pitch is impeccable, her time feel sophisticated, and her phrasing constantly interesting without calling attention to itself. She never over-sings or relies on vocal acrobatics, instead using her rich, slightly husky tone and innate musicality to serve each song's emotional truth. Whether delivering the melancholy of \"Poor Butterfly\" or the wistfulness of \"The Folks Who Live On The Hill\", McRae's artistry is consistently compelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"\u003eThis Japanese gatefold pressing represents an important moment when Atlantic Records was expanding McRae's reach internationally. The Nippon Grammophon manufacturing ensures excellent sound quality that does justice to McRae's voice and the arrangements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVinyl\u003c\/b\u003e: VG+\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSleeve\u003c\/b\u003e: VG+\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObi:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eNone\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur grading system explained \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dpbg4u-d1.myshopify.com\/pages\/secondhand-grading-guide\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ehere\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhoto is of the actual item.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Atlantic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42590716330043,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/IMG_4923.jpg?v=1762137667"},{"product_id":"carmen-mcrae-sings-lover-man-and-other-billie-holiday-classics-1979-japanese-cbs-sony-vinyl-lp","title":"Carmen McRae - Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics (1979 Japanese CBS\/Sony Vinyl LP)","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVinyl\u003c\/b\u003e: NM\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSleeve\u003c\/b\u003e: EX\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObi:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEX\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur grading system explained \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dpbg4u-d1.myshopify.com\/pages\/secondhand-grading-guide\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ehere\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhoto is of the actual item.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCarmen McRae - \u003cem\u003eSings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics \u003c\/em\u003e| Vinyl LP - 1979 Japanese CBS\/Sony (20AP 1420, CBS Favorite Jazz 100, CBS\/Sony Inc.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarmen McRae was born on 8 April 1920; Billie Holiday on 7 April 1922. They knew each other from childhood in New York. When Holiday died on 17 July 1959, McRae was the obvious person to make a tribute record — not because she sounded like Holiday, but because she understood her. Teo Macero produced the sessions at Columbia Studio A in June and July 1961. Norman Simmons arranged and played piano. Mundell Lowe on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass and Walter Perkins on drums were the core group, with Nat Adderley on cornet and Eddie \"Lockjaw\" Davis on tenor saxophone adding front line on most tracks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Strange Fruit\" is the most exposed moment on the record: McRae sings it with Lowe's guitar as the only accompaniment. It was one of the few songs Holiday owned outright, having fought to perform it in defiance of club owners who refused it. McRae doesn't sentimentalise it. \"Trav'lin Light\" is also stripped back — neither Adderley nor Davis plays on it. \"Lover Man,\" the Johnny Mercer and Jimmie Davis standard that Holiday recorded in 1945 while in the grip of heroin withdrawal, is the album's emotional centre. \"God Bless the Child\" — which Holiday wrote with Arthur Herzog Jr. — closes the record. Ralph J. Gleason wrote the original liner notes. This 1979 Japanese pressing is part of the CBS Favorite Jazz 100 series, manufactured by CBS\/Sony Inc., and comes with its cap obi and insert. The record is still in its original shrink wrap.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CBS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43411111739451,"sku":null,"price":50.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/IMG_6626.jpg?v=1775958147"}],"url":"https:\/\/lushliferecords.com.au\/collections\/carmen-mcrae.oembed","provider":"Lush Life Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}