Search - Carmen McRae :: Something Wonderful

Impeccable voice intonation, phrasing & song contrast

Richard Meyer | Woodbridge,VA | 12/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Carmen & Sarah smoked like a house a fire being very detrimental to their health & voices & it seemed to affect Carmen's voice more than Sarah's.Carmen contracted emphsima & commented how she still had the highs in her voice when she recorded those songs for the Navy radio programs."I can't stop smoking & I can't do anything about it now;what's done is done" says Carmen.Here Carmen is at the height of her voice intonation still having those beautiful highs in her voice and the phrasing is outta sight. Carmen seems to pause & caress through this medly at just the right time.She carresses in All Through The Night & then goes into into that little ditty "Anything Goes" & when one listens to that rap music prose in four letter words describes it to a tee.The contrast between these song is what makes this special from the warmpth "Long Before I Knew You" to that pick me up"Just In Time"and then slowing down to that "Come Rain Or Come Shine".This roller coaster ride of songs with Carmen being backed by a good orchestra affects Carmen to sing even better.Listen to those beautiful tonational ditties "Look To The Rainbow","Don't Cry"& you will feel warm all over when Carmen sings "Warm All Over","Never Was A Baby Like My Baby"& "Something Wonderful" as this setting is just that.I love her singing that song from South Pacific "A wonderful Guy".Why not have one of the greatest jazz singers in the world throw her hat in the ring singing famous broadway tunes.A friend of mine had this recording long before CD's came out & when this came out I jumped at it because it is such a different recording from the norm.With the exception of "Heat Wave"all of Carmen's stuff is above parr or under parr is when one is real good at golf but when Carmen is backed orchestras & good arrangers she seems to sing her ass off.The combination of all the above make this outing delightful or Something Wonderful.Carmen sang some 45 years and managed to adjust the music to the highs in her voice even when she lost those highs. Incredible."

Nice tribute to Broadway's grande dames...

B. J. Lane | Levittown, PA United States | 05/02/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Ms. McRae recorded a number of fine albums during her long career, but this 1962 tribute to Broadway's grande dames (Pearl Bailey, Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, etc.) somehow misses the mark.

Despite Buddy Bregman's superb arrangements (they're the reason I bought the CD in the first place), these songs don't quite represent Carmen's best work. She made a better mark as a jazz singer (as her later recordings will attest)."

There are better Carmen McRae albums available.

Hoc Stercus | Hudson, NY USA | 10/16/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I first became aware of Carmen McRae in the 1950's; and over the years I have purchased a good number of her LP's and CD's. Like most artists who have put out a substantial number of recordings, some of hers are outstanding while others are less than stellar. This effort belongs in the latter category. The main difficulty I have with this production is her failure to connect emotionally with the musical theater classics she chose. Perhaps these songs were not the correct vehicles for her unique gifts. The bottom line: your music dollars can be put to better use elsewhere."