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CARMEN MCRAE 70'S CLASSICS ~BRAVO!!!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 07/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Carmen McRae recorded brilliant 60's masterpieces on Mainstream Records and Atlantic Records that are among the finest works ever recorded by any singer! Because of the rock music explosion of the mid-sixties, these classics were overlooked by dull mainstream masses but treasured by those of us who appreciate a great singer. In the mid-seventies Carmen signed to United Artists and recorded a number of fine and largely overlooked lp's that have not made it to release on CD (with the exception of a limited release of "Can't Hide Love" which is no longer available) and these classic works find Carmen McRae in peak form and make up this short but fine collection. From the magnificent "I Am Music" (and was she ever!) come the gorgeous "Like A Lover" (listen to how long she holds the last note...amazing!) and the haunting and mesmerizing "I Have The Feeling I've Been Hear Before" which is raw and deeply soulful. "I Am Music" is a tremendous work and would be a great 2-fer with "Can't Hide Love" which is another Carmen classic filled with masterful performances that are brilliantly arranged to perfection! "The Man I Love" is richly sung with so much depth and the geniune pathos felt in "Would You Believe" is chilling and breathtaking to experience. Warm and richly satisfying is the beautifully touching "A Child Is Born" while the following live cuts from Carmen's concert recording's are great to experience once again. "T'Aint Nobody's Business If I Do" never sounded quite as funky and raw as it does here while the old chestnut "Dindi" is quitely stirring in a way that only Carmen could achieve. I was fortunate to live on the West Coast where Carmen lived and from the 60's through the early 90's able to see Carmen numerous times and this Legend was always highly underrated and sadly overlooked by the industry that she beautifully represented for many decades...Carmen stretched and did many great works which should have been commercial but for some strange reason this was not to be as she had no support from radio...where were they for all of these incredibly productive years? If Carmen would have been a man with 1/2 the talent she possessed she would have been a huge superstar and at the top of the charts more times than Sinatra was!!! Frank was great but his talent and recordings do not top Carmen McRae...I know as I watched greats such as Tony Bennett, kd Lang and many others watch Carmen and react strongly to the magical and supremely talented Miss McRae on stage over the years so for those who love a legendary master at her peak then do not miss this priceless set while it is available!! BRAVO CARMEN and thank you for all the wonderful years of wondrous musical experiences!!!"