Search - Carmen McRae, Joe Pass, Zoot Sims :: Ms. Jazz

What's in a name?

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 05/23/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Apparently not much. I loaded up on some attractively-priced Carmen without carefully checking song selections. "Ms. Jazz" is the same miscellany as the album called "Velvet Soul." The difference is that one of the truly egregious selections on the latter disc ("It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling") was mercifully omitted from the present collection, and the one-star "period pieces" are all grouped at the beginning of the disc, making for satisfying closure at least. Start with "I Fall in Love Too Easily," the point at which Miss Popwannabe meets a worthy musical mate and becomes Ms. Jazz."

Ms. Cool, as always!

Samuel Chell | 01/31/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This re-issue of Carmen's Groove Merchant album is a winner, much like most of McRae's vast work in many decades. Here is Carmen in the 1970s, taking on some of the decade's hits and infusing them with her intoxicating jazz vocal stylings. Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and "You and I" are top-notch Carmen. Her wry reading of "The Good Life" puts all other versions to shame. The instrumental backings may not be to everyone's taste. The drum machines (noticeable on at least one track), obnoxious as they always are, do not take away from McRae's brilliancy. This will be a treasured CD for your jazz collection."