Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics explained

Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics
Type:	studio
Artist:	Carmen McRae
Border:	yes
Released:	1962
Recorded:	June 29, 1961 and July 26, 1961
Studio:	Columbia Studios, New York City
Genre:	Jazz
Length:	42:37
Label:	Columbia CL 1730 (mono), CS 8530 (stereo)
Producer:	Teo Macero, Carmen McRae
Chronology:	Carmen McRae
Prev Title:	Tonight Only!
Prev Year:	1961
Next Title:	Take Five Live
Next Year:	1962

Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics is a 1962 studio album by Carmen McRae, recorded in tribute to McRae's idol, Billie Holiday, who had died two years previously.^[1]

Reception

Scott Yanow of Allmusic said that the album was one of McRae's "best recordings of the 1960s. McRae always considered Billie Holiday to be her primary influence, so a tribute album was a natural project for her...Recommended".^[1]

Track listing

1. "Them There Eyes" (Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracey) - 2:45
2. "Yesterdays" (Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach) - 4:52
3. "I'm Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away the Key)" (Jimmy Eaton, Terry Shand) - 2:32
4. "Strange Fruit" (Lewis Allen) - 2:47
5. "Miss Brown to You" (Richard A. Whiting, Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) - 2:28
6. "My Man" (Maurice Yvain, Jacques Charles, Albert Willemetz, Channing Pollack) - 4:05
7. "I Cried for You (Now It's Your Turn to Cry Over Me)" (Gus Arnheim, Abe Lyman, Arthur Freed) - 2:52
8. "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" (Jimmy Davis, Roger "Ram" Ramirez, James Sherman) - 4:18
9. "Trav'lin' Light" (Trummy Young, Jimmy Mundy, Johnny Mercer) - 2:20
10. "Some Other Spring" (Arthur Herzog, Jr., Irene Kitchings) - 3:02
11. "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" (Harry Woods) - 3:31
12. "God Bless the Child" (Herzog, Billie Holiday) - 3:24

Bonus tracks on the 1997 CD reissue:

13. "If the Moon Turns Green" (Bernie Hanighen, Paul Coates) - 3:28
14. "The Christmas Song" (Bob Wells, Mel Tormé) - 3:55

Personnel

• Carmen McRae - vocals

Norman Simmons' Sextet

• Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - tenor saxophone
• Nat Adderley - cornet
• Norman Simmons - piano, arranger
• Mundell Lowe - guitar
• Bob Cranshaw - double bass
• Walter Perkins - drums

Technical

• Fred Plaut - recording engineer
• Henry "Hank" Parker - cover photography

Notes and References

1. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=sings-lover-man-and-other-billie-holiday-classics-bonus-tracks-r261644|pure_url=yes}} Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and other Billie Holiday Classics]. Allmusic. May 28, 2011.