A Tribute to Carmen McRae

[deepkeel65]

Carmen MacRae in her heyday was as good as any singer I've ever heard. I saw her live and upclose back in the 70's. She was also a very good pianist as well as singer. She was the complete musician.

[TheJazzStreet]

i love dianne! but what the hell with her dress!!!! it looks like a costum!

[LuizPagan]

Today would have been Carmen McRae's 90th birthday. So glad she came this way. Her Birthday is April 8th 1920

[laurakolb]

Great chart !

[jrjazzsinger]

does anyone know if they played any of her music? or showed clips of her at that NAACP show?

[TheJazzStreet]

Della should sang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jazzylinn]

what a lovely tribute!

[quothi]

I remember when I saw this...the very next day I went out and bought Dianne Reeves CD's... I was already a Carmen McRae fan.

[MissDellaReese]

Too bad Della didn't take the mic and sing!

[pimenteross]

Very, very exciting, my devotion to Big Carmen, and Diana and the big issue called Yesterday.

[MrCafiero]

This is a lesson in registration: falsetto and chest balance.

[robertg92103]

An orgasmic sensation! Dianne is the shit! sang sista!

[sistalinda]

Wo!

[kuson22]

damnnnn....diannne!!!!

lol

[sistalinda]

And Bless Dianne.

lol.

[taddyd1]

My dad was a big Carmen fan and I didn't really get it until I saw her in person in 1979 when I was about 27. EVERY song was a magical event in the most intimate story-telling!

[fritzwerner]

Incredible!!!! The best female jazzsinger today!!!!!! Why people and jazzlovers BUY records of Dianna Krall??????????

[taddyd1]

????? what is with the Krall love and Cassandra Wilson too? Nneenna Freelon, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Rachelle Ferrelle, Patti Austin and Ms Reeves get ignored but there is Krall on Tavis.

[billie44]

The better singers always get kicked to the crub..

[quothi]

You hit the nail on the head when you said 'singers'...these youngins today are all about showmanship without the voice to back it up...lol.

[leesterg]

I am with you--have thought the same! What???

[peeechz]

I love, love, love Carmen. She's my absolute favorite from that era (and, really, in the top overall for me). I can see Krall's merits- they don't need to be mutually exclusive, especially since it's apples and oranges. I don't dig Diana's singing nearly as much as her playing, though.

[murky1177]

you ain't never lied. krall's piano is actually hip and interesting. her singing is for people who don't like surprises in their jazz. i once saw dianne reeves live in st. louis, she hit a high note at the end of yesterdays that literally pulled me out of my seat. the woman next to me in a fur coat was asleep. she's probably a krall fan. krall wouldn't interrupt her sleep.

[peeechz]

Sweet! I got to see Dianne recently- she really kicks.

Your comment made me laugh. I was at a show a couple of weeks ago and my friend and I were talking about those you could tell there were some there just to "be seen". Those fidgeting during instrumentals and less-"popular" tunes vs. those of us absolutely riveted by every note played (it was a Vince Guaraldi tribute with Houston Person and Joe Locke as featured guests!)

[glissage]

Wonderful!

[direfranchement]

This is an amazing tribute to Ms. Carmen McRae, but listening to this performance just proves that Dianne Reeves is the child of Sarah Vaughan. Listen to those swooping and soaring lines in the first 2 minutes. Incredible!

[stevenrmc]

Dianne has such a grat voice . . . such range, such technique.

It's such a treat to watch her work . . . she's right up there

with all the great jazz singers of past.

[kontiki78]

Does anybody have Carmen singing "take five"? there must be video since that piece is known all over the map.The studio original is very good but very short.

[willuk]

this is sublime. dianne reeves really pulled it out for this one.

but if you think this is good, listen to carmen doing it on her billie holiday tribute album recorded in 1961. the version here is heavily inspired by carmens interpretation of the billie classic.

[PaulRiddleJr]

I saw Carmen McRae perform in San Antonio, years ago,

she was great.

[willuk]

what year was this 1990?

[LuizPagan]

She passed on November 10th 1994. My guess it was that year or the year before. But QuickStix above should know since they were there that day...

[Rsanaa]

A WOW MOMENT

[QuickStix]

This was an NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award presentation. I was in the audience that night in Pasadena and I am so happy to relive that godlen moment here via YouTube. She was gone soon after this, so it is to the organization's credit that they honored her in person. Ms. Carmen McRae, to me, was THE best jazz singer of all time...absorbed the best from those who came before her, then created her own transfixing style. I love her madly and remember her with a fondness fit for family.

[LuizPagan]

Santa Carmen, my main patron saint. Stay with me lady. Keep singing through the elements and filling my ears and heart. Paz

[smokey4149]

good to see her honored. she is one people forget about and should not. so many vocalist owe her. especially for diction as Della said!

[hc20pap]

it`s like she new what will happen when she sang "too good". sad to see carmen mcrae in a wheel chair.

[murky1177]

What do you mean by this? Do you mean Dianne held back? Do you think Carmen was jealous? I'm confused...

[hc20pap]

nothing like that. it`s just that carmen couldn`t sing at all because of her condition and i`m sure that was making her feel real sad.