McRae, Carmen

McRae, Carmen
born April 8, 1920, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died Nov. 10, 1994, Beverly Hills, Calif.

U.S. singer and pianist.

McRae was influenced by Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. She began her career in 1943 singing at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, absorbing the innovations of the first bebop musicians. Working as a soloist from the mid-1950s, McRae became one of the most accomplished scat singers and ballad interpreters in jazz.

* * *

▪ 1995

      U.S. vocalist (b. April 8, 1920, New York, N.Y.—d. Nov. 10, 1994, Beverly Hills, Calif.), mingled subtle technique and a dry contralto voice with swing, edgy wit, and a thoughtful ballad approach to become one of the most admired jazz singers of her generation. Compared with such contemporaries as Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, McRae had a narrow vocal range, yet her stylistic ingenuity, generally unsentimental manner, and care for the meanings of lyrics made her distinctive. She studied piano in her youth and won an amateur talent contest singing at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem in 1939; not long thereafter she met the innovative Billie Holiday, who became the major influence on her style. After touring (1946-47) with the Mercer Ellington band, she spent a crucial formative 3 1/2 years in Chicago before returning to New York and winning a New Star award from Down Beat magazine. She began her prolific solo recording career about 1953 and soon was working with top arrangers such as Tadd Dameron and Ralph Burns and collaborating with Sammy Davis, Jr. (1957-58; Boy Meets Girl and Porgy and Bess) and Dave Brubeck (1960-61). Instrumentalists such as tenor saxophonists Ben Webster and Zoot Sims and the Quincy Jones and Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland big bands sometimes accompanied her (the great drummer Clarke had been her first husband). Typically, though, on record and on her many nightclub and concert tours, she was accompanied by piano trios. Among her last projects, before she retired in 1991, were recorded tributes to Vaughan and composer Thelonious Monk.

* * *

▪ American jazz vocalist
born April 8, 1920, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died Nov. 10, 1994, Beverly Hills, Calif.

      American jazz vocalist and pianist who from an early emulation of vocalist Billie Holiday (Holiday, Billie) grew to become a distinctive stylist, known for her smoky voice and her melodic variations on jazz standards. Her scat improvisations were innovative, complex, and elegant.

      McRae studied classical piano as a child, worked with bandleaders Benny Carter (Carter, Benny) and Count Basie (Basie, Count) in the mid-1940s, and made her recording debut as Carmen Clarke (she was at the time married to jazz drummer Kenny Clarke (Clarke, Kenny)) with Mercer Ellington's orchestra in 1946–47. She spent several years as an intermission pianist and singer at Minton's Playhouse in New York City until successfully recording in 1953 and 1954. From the mid-1950s, she toured extensively (being particularly popular in Japan), recorded frequently, and appeared in many musical contexts.

      McRae recorded with several jazz notables, including Louis Armstrong (Armstrong, Louis), Dave Brubeck (Brubeck, Dave), Joe Pass, and George Shearing. Her outstanding recordings include Here to Stay, a collection of sides from the late 1950s; Lover Man (1962); and The Great American Songbook (1972). In later years, McRae issued a series of highly regarded albums that paid tribute to other jazz artists, such as Nat King Cole (Cole, Nat King), Billie Holiday (Holiday, Billie), Thelonious Monk (Monk, Thelonious), and Sarah Vaughan (Vaughan, Sarah). McRae is remembered for her elegance and her ability to invest herself emotionally and intellectually in a song's lyrics. Jazz critic Ralph Gleason described a McRae song as an “exercise in dramatic art.”

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • McRae, Carmen — (8 abr. 1920, Nueva York, EE.UU.–10 nov. 1994, Beverly Hills, Cal.). Cantante y pianista estadounidense. McRae recibió la influencia de Billie Holiday y Sarah Vaughan. En 1943 empezó su carrera como cantante en el Minton s Playhouse de Harlem,… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • McRae,Carmen — Mc·Rae (mə krā), Carmen. 1920 1994. American jazz singer, songwriter, and pianist who rose to fame in Harlem during the 1940s. Her low key performing style is distinguished by its wit and rigor. * * * …   Universalium

  • Carmen McRae — Infobox musical artist Name = Carmen McRae Background = solo singer Birth name = Carmen Mercedes McRae Alias = The Singer s Singer Born = birth date|1920|4|8|mf=y Died = death date and age|1994|11|10|1920|4|8 Beverly Hills, California, United… …   Wikipedia

  • Carmen McRae — Pour les articles homonymes, voir McRae. Carmen McRae Nom Carmen Mercedes McRae Naissance le 8 avril 1920 Pays d’origine …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Carmen — I (Del ár. karm, viña, viñedo.) ► sustantivo masculino Quinta o finca granadina con amplio huerto o jardín: ■ poseían un extenso carmen en la vega del río. II (Del lat. carmen, verso.) ► sustantivo masculino POESÍA Composición poética, en… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Carmen — /kahr meuhn/; Sp. /kahrdd men/, n. 1. See Ciudad del Carmen. 2. a male or female given name: from a Latin word meaning song. /kahr meuhn/; Fr. /kannrdd men /, n. an opera (1875) by Georges Bizet. * * * (as used in expressions) Margarita Carmen… …   Universalium

  • Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics — Studioalbum von Carmen McRae Veröffentlichung 1962 Label Colu …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Carmen McRae — (* 8. April 1920[1] in Harlem, NYC; † 10. November 1994 in Beverly Hills) war eine amerikanische Jazz Sängerin. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Musikalische Bedeutung …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Carmen McRae — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Carmen Mercedes McRae (*8 de abril de 1920 † 10 de noviembre de 1994) Conocida con el apodo Cantante de Cantantes fue contemporánea de Ella Fitzgerald y Sarah Vaughan, considerada la virtual sucesora de Billie… …   Wikipedia Español

  • McRae — may refer to: People with the surname McRae Alister McRae, British Rally Champion Alexander Duncan McRae, Canadian businessman, Army General, MP, Senator and farmer Brian McRae, Major League Baseball player Bruce McRae, American early actor Chann …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”