Search - Carmen McRae :: Fine & Mellow: Live at Birdland West

Exciting ensemble recording, with McRae as band singer.

Mary Whipple | New England | 10/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In this 1987 recording from Birdland West, Carmen McRae is less a headliner than she is part of a jazz ensemble as she records this mellow, relaxed album. Co-produced by sax player and band leader Red Holloway, the CD showcases McRae, but her stellar instrumentalists are so talented and have so many solo opportunities that the CD is as much theirs as hers. Holloway is always outstanding on sax, and with Jack McDuff on organ, Phil Upchurch on guitar, John Clayton on bass, and Paul Humphrey on drums, the talent quotient is amazing, with McRae giving them all ample opportunity to do their stuff.



All the songs here are slow, relaxed, and mostly bluesy, with McRae using her voice as an instrument, close in timbre to Holloway's sax, as she varies her vocal strength from loud to soft, often ending with soft diminuendos. Most of the tracks are unusually long, with "One More Chance," the most upbeat and fastest track, lasting a "mere" 4.06 minutes, while all others are five minutes long or longer. Billie Holiday's composition, "Fine and Mellow," the title song, is an incredible 9:31 minutes long, as McRae shares the spotlight with the guitar, sax, organ, and a bowed bass.



"These Foolish Things," a standard, is one of my favorites on the CD, with McRae endowing the lyrics with great meaning while the band keeps its accompaniment unobtrusive until Holloway's wonderful sax solo. By far the most dramatic and impressive track is "Black and Blue," and the protest lyrics and McRae's interpretations, with mournful, sobbing beats, are powerful. As she sings, "Just 'cause you're black, they laugh at you and scorn you," or "When you are near, they laugh and sneer," the audience is completely silent, and when she sings "My only sin is in my skin. What did I do?" no one can help but be profoundly moved. "Handy Man," sung sexy and full of double entendres, which McRae emphasizes through slight hesitations in the lyrics, is a terrific finale for this jazz concert.



Those expecting a McRae extravaganza should be aware that this is a joint effort, with McRae having very little more recording time than do her instrumentalists. Those looking for a fine jazz recording, in which every participant respects and gives way to every other musician, however, will find this a stunning and memorable live performance. n Mary Whipple

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