Dream of Life (Carmen McRae album) explained
| Dream of Life |
| Type: | Studio |
| Artist: | Carmen McRae |
| Cover: | Dream of Life (Carmen McRae album).png |
| Recorded: | June 21–24, 1989 |
| Studio: | WDR Studios, Cologne |
| Genre: | Vocal jazz |
| Length: | 45:30 |
| Label: | Qwest |
| Prev Title: | The Best of Carmen McRae |
| Prev Year: | 1995 |
| Next Title: | Ballad Essentials |
| Next Year: | 1999 |
Dream of Life is a studio album by American singer Carmen McRae, released in 1998 by Qwest Records after her death. This was one of MacRae's last sessions, made in June 1989 at the WDR Studio in Cologne, Germany, with the participation of the WDR Big Band. It was named after a song written by McRae at the age of seventeen and recorded by her friend and mentor Billie Holiday in 1937.[1]
For recording the album, McRae received a nomination for the NAACP Image Awards as the best jazz artist.[2]
Critical reception
Scott Yanow of AllMusic wrote that McRae is in fine form on a wide-ranging program, and also that it is a rare opportunity to hear her accompanied by such a large orchestra.
Track listing
- "In Walked Bud" (Jon Hendricks, Thelonious Monk) – 2:44
- "Sunday" (Chester Conn, Benny Krueger, Ned Miller, Jule Styne) – 7:03
- "For All We Know" (J. Fred Coots, Sam M. Lewis) – 3:25
- "I Have the Feeling I've Been Here Before" (Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Roger Kellaway) – 5:18
- "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 3:51
- "A Song for You" (Leon Russell) – 3:26
- "Miss Brown to You" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin, Richard A. Whiting) – 4:02
- "Dream of Life" (Luther Henderson, Carmen McRae) – 5:04
- "What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry?" (Walter Donaldson, Abe Lyman) – 4:08
- "If the Moon Turns Green" (Paul Coates, Bernie Hanighen) – 3:30
- "You're a Weaver of Dreams" (Jack Elliott, Victor Young) – 2:59
Personnel
- Carmen McRae – vocals
- John Clayton – arrangement, conductor (1–10)
- WDR Big Band – band
- John Von Ohlen – drums
- Eric Gunnison – piano
- Harald Rosenstein, Heiner Wiberny, Olivier Peters, Rolf Römer – saxophone
- Bernt Laukamp, Dave Horler, Henning Berg, Roy Deuvall – trombone
- Klaus Osterloh, Rick Kiefer – trumpet
Notes and References
- Book: Herb. Wong. Paul Simeon. Fingerote. Giacomo Gates. https://books.google.com/books?id=QgcXDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA209. Jazz on My Mind: Liner Notes, Anecdotes and Conversations from the 1940s to the 2000s. Illustrated. McFarland. 2016. 209. 9781476625478.
- The 30th NAACP Image Awards Official Ballot. The Crisis. The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc.. December 1998. 105. 6. 29 (4). 0011-1422.
