Name: Ballad Essentials by Carmen Mcrae
Brand: Carmen McRae
SKU: 888072178014
Price: 9.9 USD
Availability: OnlineOnly
Rating: 4 (84 reviews)

ALBUM

In 1999, Concord Jazz launched its Ballad Essentials series with this superb Carmen McRae collection, which spans 1980-1987. The influential singer recorded for Concord on four occasions; after teaming up with George Shearing for 1980's Two for the Road and joining forces with Cal Tjader on 1982's Heat Wave, McRae paid tribute to Nat "King" Cole on 1983's You're Lookin' at Me and visited Long Beach, CA, for 1987's excellent Fine and Mellow: Live at Birdland West. The only track that's out of place on this CD is "Fine and Mellow," which is a 12-bar blues instead of a ballad. True, McRae is captivating and inspired on this Billie Holiday classic, one of the highlights of Birdland West, but this is supposed to be a collection of ballads, not a blues collection. The rest of the CD, however, demonstrates just how stunning a ballad singer McRae could be. This is true whether she's joining Tjader's band on "Besame Mucho," saluting Cole on "You're Looking at Me," performing for the Birdland West audience on "These Foolish Things," or doing a vocals/piano duet with Shearing on "More Than You Know," "If I Should Lose You," and "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You." It's regrettable that Concord disrupted the CD's ambience by including a blues performance -- albeit an impressive one -- but even so, Ballad Essentials is enthusiastically recommended to anyone who cherishes intimate, smoky jazz singing.
© Alex Henderson /TiVo

1. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You

by George Shearing

Primary Artist: George Shearing
Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Composer: Victor Young; Composer
Composer: Victor Young; Composer
Author: Ned Washington
Bing Crosby; Production
Author: Bing Crosby
Ned Washington; Production

2. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)

by Carmen Mcrae

Primary Artist: Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Composer: Harry Link
Holt Marvell
Jack Strachey; Composer
Composer: Holt Marvell
Jack Strachey
Harry Link; Composer
Composer Lyricist: Jack Strachey
Harry Link
Holt Marvell; Other

3. Come In Out Of The Rain

by Carmen Mcrae

Primary Artist: Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Composer: Bob Russell
Carl Sigman; Composer
Composer: Bob Russell
Carl Sigman; Composer
Composer Lyricist: Bob Russell
Carl Sigman; Other

4. The Visit

by Cal Tjader

Primary Artist: Cal Tjader
Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Composer: Ivan Lins
Regina Wernech
Victor Martins; Composer
Composer: Ivan Lins
Victor Martins
Regina Wernech; Composer
Producer: Carl E. Jefferson; Production
Composer Lyricist: Victor Martins
Ivan Lins
Regina Wernech; Other

5. More Than You Know

by George Shearing

Primary Artist: George Shearing
Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Composer: Billy Rose
Edward Eliscu
Vincent Youmans; Composer
Composer: Billy Rose
Vincent Youmans
Edward Eliscu; Composer
Composer Lyricist: Vincent Youmans
Billy Rose
Edward Eliscu; Other

6. Until The Real Thing Comes Along

by Carmen Mcrae

Primary Artist: Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Composer: Alberta Nichols
L.e. Freeman
Mann Holiner
Sammy Cahn
Saul Chaplin; Composer
Composer: Mann Holiner
Sammy Cahn
Alberta Nichols
Saul Chaplin
L.e. Freeman; Composer
Composer Lyricist: L.e. Freeman
Sammy Cahn
Saul Chaplin
Mann Holiner
Alberta Nichols; Other

7. You're Looking At Me

by Carmen Mcrae

Primary Artist: Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Double Bass: John Leftwich; Performer
Guitar: John Collins; Performer
Performer: Carmen Mcrae
Marshall Otwell
John Collins
John Leftwich; Performer
Piano: Marshall Otwell; Performer
Vocals: Carmen Mcrae; Performer
Composer: Bobby Troup; Composer
Composer: Bobby Troup; Composer
Executive Producer: John Burk
Glen Barros; Production
Mastering Engineer: George Horn; Production
Producer: Nick Phillips
John Burk
Glen Barros; Production
Recording Producer: Nick Phillips; Production
Studio Personnel: George Horn; Production
Artist: Carmen Mcrae
Marshall Otwell
John Collins
John Leftwich; Production
Composer Lyricist: Bobby Troup; Other

8. Too Late Now

by George Shearing

Primary Artist: George Shearing
Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Composer: Alan Jay Lerner
Burton Lane; Composer
Composer: Burton Lane
Alan Jay Lerner; Composer

9. If I Had You

by Carmen Mcrae

Primary Artist: Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Double Bass: John Leftwich; Performer
Guitar: John Collins; Performer
Performer: Carmen Mcrae
John Collins
John Leftwich; Performer
Vocals: Carmen Mcrae; Performer
Composer: Donna Hughes; Composer
Composer: Donna Hughes; Composer
Executive Producer: John Burk
Glen Barros; Production
Mastering Engineer: George Horn; Production
Producer: Nick Phillips
John Burk
Glen Barros; Production
Recording Producer: Nick Phillips; Production
Studio Personnel: George Horn; Production
Artist: Carmen Mcrae
John Collins
John Leftwich; Production
Composer Lyricist: Donna Hughes; Other

10. Bésame Mucho

by Cal Tjader

Primary Artist: Cal Tjader
Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Double Bass: Rob Fisher
Dean Reilly; Performer
Drums: Vince Lateano; Performer
Flute: Gary Foster
Roger Glenn; Performer
Guitar: Mundell Lowe; Performer
Composer: Consuelo Velázquez
Sunny Skylar; Composer
Composer Lyricist: Sunny Skylar
Consuelo Velázquez; Other
Percussion: Roger Glenn
Poncho Sanchez
Ramon Banda; Performer
Performer: Mark Levine
Rob Fisher
Mundell Lowe
Carmen Mcrae
Hank Jones
Marshall Otwell
Gary Foster
Cal Tjader
Roger Glenn
Poncho Sanchez
Scott Hamilton
Ramon Banda
Al Bent
Dean Reilly
Vince Lateano
Mike Heathman; Performer
Piano: Mark Levine
Hank Jones
Marshall Otwell; Performer
Producer: Nick Phillips
John Burk
Glen Barros
Carl Jefferson; Production
Recording Producer: Nick Phillips
Carl Jefferson; Production
Artist: Cal Tjader
Carmen Mcrae
Marshall Otwell
Poncho Sanchez
Ramon Banda
Rob Fisher
Al Bent
Gary Foster
Roger Glenn
Scott Hamilton
Mike Heathman
Hank Jones
Vince Lateano
Mark Levine
Mundell Lowe
Dean Reilly; Production
Soprano Saxophone: Gary Foster; Performer
Tenor Saxophone: Scott Hamilton; Performer
Timbales: Ramon Banda; Performer
Trombone: Al Bent
Mike Heathman; Performer
Vibraphone: Cal Tjader; Performer
Vocals: Carmen Mcrae; Performer
Composer: Consuelo Velázquez
Sunny Skylar; Composer
Executive Producer: John Burk
Glen Barros; Production
Mastering Engineer: Seth Presant; Production
Studio Personnel: Seth Presant; Production
Conga: Poncho Sanchez; Other

11. If I Should Lose You

by George Shearing

Primary Artist: George Shearing
Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Composer: Leo Robin
Ralph Rainger; Composer
Composer: Ralph Rainger
Leo Robin; Composer
Composer Lyricist: Leo Robin
Ralph Rainger; Other

12. Fine And Mellow

by Carmen Mcrae

Primary Artist: Carmen Mcrae; Main Performer
Composer: Billie Holiday; Composer
Composer: Billie Holiday; Composer
Composer Lyricist: Billie Holiday; Other

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

12 tracks available

Type

ALBUM

Format

Digital Media

Duration

56 minutes and 19 seconds

Explicit

None

Coverart

Available and up to 3000x3000 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

CD Quality (Lossless)

16bit / 44.1 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

8/12 tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

No synced lyrics found

Genres

Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Vocal, Traditional Pop, Pop Standards

Label

Concord Jazz

Music Distribution Service

UMG Global

Country

United States

Language

English (United States)
Spanish (Spain)

Popularity

Release Date

Aug 2, 1999

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

888072178014

Shopping cart

Notification

Ballad Essentials

1. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You

2. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)

3. Come In Out Of The Rain

4. The Visit

5. More Than You Know

6. Until The Real Thing Comes Along

7. You're Looking At Me

8. Too Late Now

9. If I Had You

10. Bésame Mucho

11. If I Should Lose You

12. Fine And Mellow

Technical Specifications

Ballad Essentials

Product information

Release options

1. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You

2. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)

3. Come In Out Of The Rain

4. The Visit

5. More Than You Know

6. Until The Real Thing Comes Along

7. You're Looking At Me

8. Too Late Now

9. If I Had You

10. Bésame Mucho

11. If I Should Lose You

12. Fine And Mellow

Technical Specifications