Search - Carmen McRae :: Carmen Sings Monk: First Edt (Dig)

Carmen finally does material worthy of her voice

Ethan Hein | New York, NY USA | 12/13/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like many jazz fans, I love Carmen McRae's singing, but have stayed away from her albums because of the cheesiness factor. Her voice has so much soul and bite, but it gets lost amidst the swelling strings and [unsuitable] material. I've always wanted to hear her backed by real jazz musicians playing hip tunes, and I couldn't ask for a better songwriter for her than Thelonious Monk. I'm a longtime Monk devotee, and I've often found myself wishing that singers would venture deeper into his songbook than Round Midnight. Bringing together an underutilized vocal talent with an underexplored body of tunes was a terrific idea. I'd never heard any vocalist do Monk's Dream, I Mean You, Ruby My Dear, Pannonica, Ask Me Now or Ugly Beauty - these tunes have been crying out for vocal interpretation, and you couldn't ask for a better interpreter than Carmen. The new lyrics are strong for the most part, especially Jon Hendricks' typically witty and inventive turns of phrase. My favorite rhyme of his comes in Ask Me Now: "What dumb thing did I say, so busy being blase." But even if the lyrics weren't so strong overall, it would still be thrilling to hear these tunes sung the way Carmen sings them. Throughout the album, she navigates the tricky harmonies effortlessly, throwing in her own thoughtful melodic embellishments. She's very free with the rhythm, too, often laying way behind the beat (her Blue Monk is like molasses dripping off a hot biscuit), and her phrasing is full of her characteristic playful intelligence. Actually, the way she dissects the tunes reminds me of the way Monk himself used to approach standards. Of course, Carmen can own these tunes because for most of the album she has the advantage of exploring new territory. But she has something to add even to the hackneyed Round Midnight. Much as I love this tune, I thought I would never need to hear another version of it, but Carmen's take is utterly compelling. She goes through the original Monk arrangement with the usual lyrics, but also sings additional lyrics set to the melody and interludes as done by Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. I don't know whether she was the first person to sing it this way, but whoever did it first, it makes perfect musical sense. I have a few small criticisms. I would have liked to hear more of the tunes that people don't usually sing, like Criss Cross, Off Minor, Thelonious, Brilliant Corners. Carmen's idiosyncratic edginess suits the material better than the capable but somewhat generic-sounding sideman. These contemporary cats need to remember that less is more, especially when you're playing Monk, and instead of displays of virtuosity it's sometimes better to just stick to melodic ideas. I like Charlie Rouse generally, but he played better solos on the original Monk albums. Still, I'm nitpicking. This CD has been in heavy rotation since I bought it, and it's been a major inspiration for my own jazz performing. You'll probably find yourself walking around singing these tunes to yourself incessantly after a few listens, puzzling over all the key changes in Pannonica, etc. Definitely worth buying and doing lots of close listening to.By the way, Carmen fans who want to hear something cool should check out the album Verve Remixed, which includes a radical techno revamping of her famous version of How Long Has This Been Going On. Carmen would have been a natural club diva."

Monk And McRae - An Unparalleled Twosome!

Jana L. Perskie | New York, NY USA | 04/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Carmen McRae's voice is fine. One of my favorite jazz vocalists, she is best known, however, for her witty and frequently ironic interpretations of lyrics, and her unique phrasing. Thelonious Monk, a brilliant pianist and composer, was one of the top jazz improvisers of the 1950's and 60's. Monk and McRae were good friends, and that's a good thing, especially because their friendship led to the making of this album. The combination of his music and her vocals are just dynamite. Pure magic!



Ms McRae sings thirteen of Monk's outstanding compositions on this CD. Two bonus numbers are versions of "Get It Straight," ("Straight No Chaser"), and "Suddenly," ("In Walked Bud"), from live performances. George Mraz's intro and solo on the opener, "Get It Straight," are superb. The other live track is my all time favorite, "Dear Ruby." What a song! And then there's the profound blues of "'Round Midnight" - outrageously outstanding!!! At times quirky, at others relaxed and swinging cool, Carmen captures Monks spirit and his angular melodies beautifully.



Most lyrics are by Jon Hendricks, with Abbey Lincoln, ("Blue Monk"), Bernie Hanighen, Sally Swisher and Mike Ferro contributing their writing talents to the other pieces. Titles have been changed, i.e., "Rhythm-a-ning" becomes "Listen to Monk," "Monk's Dream" becomes "Man, That Was A Dream," because, according to the music publishers, the pure instrumental versions have become part of a separate "Monk literature." Carmen is assisted here by tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan, pianist Eric Gunnison, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Al Foster. Tenor sax Charlie Rouse and pianist Larry Willis provide back-up on the live tracks only. I only wish there had been more live sound.



Carmen McRae movingly states, in the linear notes accompanying the CD, how proud she is of this album and the musicians involved. I thank Ms. McRae for making this wonderful compilation, at age 68, no less! It is one of the best CDs I own. It's must have. ENJOY!

JANA"

Wonderful vocal interpretation of Monk's tunes

Jana L. Perskie | 08/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am an avid Monk fan, and this is one of my favorite jazz albums, and my favorite vocal jazz album. Carmen McRae's does a fantastic job of interpreting Monk on these 1988 recordings. She sings very Monkish, in a style that can only be appreciated by people who love Monk's music. Both McRae's singing and the lyrics-by several different writers-fit the tunes. And the backup band is terrific! It is the best playing of Monk tunes by a non-Monk group that I have ever heard-very Monkish.This recording will help you learn Monk's tunes. Monk biographer Leslie Gourse ["Straight, No Chaser"-recommended] remarked that many Monk fans have trouble attaching names to his tunes, even though they recognize the tunes as Monk's when they hear them. Listening to McRae's singing has helped me to remember Monk's tunes so I can whistle or "sing" them, and it has also enabled me to attach names to these 15 tunes when I hear the instrumental versions. (The song titles have been changed for the vocal versions. For example, "Suddenly" is really "In Walked Bud.") If you are a Monk fan, you will be thrilled to discover this album.Avid Monk fans: Also check out "Soesja Citroen Sings Thelonious Monk.""