Carmen McRae: distinctive wit and sensuous intelligence
Ian K. Hughes | San Mateo, CA | 10/14/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The late Carmen McRae's "TORCHY" ( rec 1956 ) is a superior album of wonderful popular songs complimented by the tasteful arrangements of Jack Pleis. The album is beautifully programmed, full of bittersweet ( love lost or unrequited ) classics from the "Golden Era", some of which are listed below:"But Beautiful" ( Burke & Van Heusen )
"Last Night When We Were Young ( Harburg & Arlen )
"Midnight Sun" ( Mercer & Hampton )
"Yesterdays" ( Harbach & Kern )
"My Future Just Passed" ( Marion & Whiting )
"We'll Be Together Again" ( Laine & Fischer )While not possessing the virtuoso equipment of Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan ( though she is by no means a slouch technically ) McRae is the superior dramatist; her slightly smoky vocal timbre is married to a relaxed style of distinctive wit ( "bent" notes slightly off-key / unexpected shifts in register ) and sensuous intelligence ( think of Anna Karenina in her best moments ). While Carmen McRae recorded many a jazz album, "TORCHY" is properly categorized as a "popular" offering. Jack Pleis' arrangements ( engineered with a "distant" sound ) do contain some jazzy elements ( swinging rhythm section and brief sax & flute solos ) amidst the reverb-laden strings; Pleis is certainly no Nelson Riddle but his work suits to a tee the album's mournful moodiness. "TORCHY" is perfect for late evenings, its rarified nocturnal ruminations akin to other classic "torch" albums ( Sinatra's "ONLY THE LONELY" being the ne plus ultra of the genre ). And it is just one of the many great lp's Carmen McRae recorded during a long and distinguished "combination" career as jazz artist/chanteuse."
