Carmen McRae

Carmen McRae

Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer, composer, pianist, actress. Considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century, it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of song lyrics that made her memorable. McRae drew inspiration from Billie Holiday, but established her own distinctive voice. She went on to record over 60 albums during her career. She enjoyed a rich musical career, performing and recording in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Career

McRae was born in Harlem, New York City on April 8, 1920, to West Indian (Jamaican) parents, Osmond and Evadne McRae. She began studying piano when she was eight, and the music of jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington filled her home. She met singer Billie Holiday when she was just 17 years old. As a teenager McRae came to the attention of Teddy Wilson and his wife, the composer Irene Kitchings Wilson. One of McRae's early songs, "Dream of Life" through their influence, was recorded in 1939 by Wilson’s longtime collaborator Billie Holiday. McRae considered Holiday to be her primary influence. In her late teens and early twenties, McRae played piano at a New York club called Minton's Playhouse, Harlem's most famous jazz club, sang as a chorus girl, and worked as a secretary. It was at Milton's where she met trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and drummer Kenny Clarke. Had her first important job as a pianist with the Benny Carter's big band (1944), worked with Count Basie (1944) and made first recording as pianist with Mercer Ellington Band (1946-1947). But it was while working in Brooklyn that she came to the attention of Decca’s Milt Gabler. Her five year association with Decca yielded 12 LPs.

In 1948 she moved to Chicago with comedian George Kirby. Chicago audiences thought she was great, too. She played piano steadily for almost four years before returning to New York. Those years in Chicago, McRae told Jazz Forum, "gave me whatever it is that I have now. That's the most prominent schooling I ever had." Back in New York in the early 1950s, McRae got the record contract that launched her career. In 1954, she was voted best new female vocalist by Down Beat magazine.

Among her most interesting recording projects were Mad About The Man (1957) with Sammy Davis, Jr., participating in Dave Brubeck's the Real Ambassadors (1961) with Louis Armstrong, a tribute album You're Lookin' at Me (A Collection of Nat King Cole Songs) (1983), cutting an album of live duets with Betty Carter, The Carmen McRae-Betty Carter Duets (1987), being accompanied by Dave Brubeck and George Shearing, and closing her career with brilliant tributes to Thelonious Monk, Carmen Sings Monk (1990), and Sarah Vaughan, Sarah: Dedicated to You (1991). As a result of her early friendship with Billie Holiday, she never performed without singing at least one song associated with Lady Day, and recorded an album in 1983 in her honor entitled For Lady Day, which was released in 1995. Some songs included are; "Good Morning Heartache", "Them There Eyes", "Lover Man", "God Bless the Child", "Don't Explain", just to name a few. McRae also recorded with the world best jazz musicians, Take Five Live (1961) with Dave Brubeck, Heat Wave (1982) with Cal Tjader, and Two for the Road (1989) with George Shearing.

Carmen McRae sang in jazz clubs throughout the United States—and across the world—for over fifty years. McRae was a popular performer at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival (1961-1963, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1982). Performing with Duke Ellington's at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1980, singing "Dont Get Around Much Any More", and at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1989.

Carmen McRae, who refused to quit smoking, was forced to retire in 1991 due to emphysema. McRae passed away November 10, 1994 in Beverly Hills, California from a stroke, following complications from respiratory illness.

Selective awards and recognitions

Grammy Award History

Carmen McRae Grammy Award Recognitions
Year	Category	Title	Genre	Label	Result
1990	Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Female	Carmen Sings Monk	Jazz	Novus	Nominee
1988	Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Female	Fine and Mellow	Jazz	Concord Jazz	Nominee
1988	Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Duo or Group	The Carmen McRae-Betty Carter Duets	Jazz	Great American Music Hall	Nominee
1987	Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Female	Any Old Time	Jazz	Denon	Nominee
1984	Best Jazz Vocal Performance	You're Lookin' at Me (A Collection of Nat King Cole Songs)	Jazz	Concord Jazz	Nominee
1977	Best Jazz Vocal Performance	Carmen McRae at the Great American Music Hall	Jazz	Blue Note	Nominee
1971	Best Jazz Performance - Soloist	Carmen McRae	Jazz	Atlantic	Nominee

Carmen McRae Awards
Year	Organization	Category	Result
1994	National Endowment for the Arts	NEA Jazz Masters	Winner
1993	NAACP	NAACP Image Awards	Honoree
1984		Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame	Inducted

Filmography

Movies

• 1986: "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling", played the grandmother
• 1967: "Hotel", played Christine
• 1960: "The Subterraneans", played herself
• 1956: "The Square Jungle", herself

Television

• 1982: "L. A. Jazz"
• 1981: "Billie Holiday. A Tribute"
• 1981: "At the Palace"
• 1980: "From Jumpstreet"
• 1979: "Roots: The Next Generations", played Lila
• 1979: "Carmen McRae in Concert"
• 1976: "Sammy and Company"
• 1976: "Soul"

Selective discography

Year	Title	Genre	Label
1990	Sarah: Dedicated to You	Jazz	Novus
1988	Carmen Sings Monk	Jazz	Novus
1987	The Carmen McRae-Betty Carter Duets	Jazz	Great American Music Hall
1983	You're Lookin' at Me (A Collection of Nat King Cole Songs)	Jazz	Concord Jazz
1980	Two for the Road with George Shearing	Jazz	Concord Jazz
1972	The Great American Songbook	Jazz	Atlantic
1965	Alive!	Jazz	Columbia
1962	Something Wonderful	Jazz	Columbia
1962	The Real Ambassadors	Jazz	Columbia
1961	Sings Lover Man and other Billie Holiday Classics	Jazz	Columbia
1961	Take Five	Jazz	Columbia
1960	Book of Ballads	Jazz	Kapp
1958	Boy Meets Girl: Sammy Davis Jr. & Carmen McRae	Jazz	Decca
1958	Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday at Newport	Jazz	Verve
1957	After Glow	Jazz	Decca
1955	Torchy	Jazz	Decca
1954	Easy to Love	Jazz	Bethelem
1954	Carmen McRae	Jazz	Bethelem

External links

• The Complete Carmen McRae Discography
• Filmography

References

Gourse, Leslie. Carmen McRae: Miss Jazz, Billboard Books, (2001) ISBN 082307904X