Released in 1970,
Just a Little Lovin' was the fourth (and last) studio album
Carmen McRae cut for Atlantic Records in the late '60s/early '70s. The albums were for the most part a mix of pop and jazz songs with a decidedly pop angle.
Just a Little Lovin' isn't too different, though it leans more toward the soulful end of the street. Producer
Arif Mardin put
McRae together with the Dixie Flyers studio band, backup singers extraordinaire
the Sweet Inspirations, and an all-star horn section led by
King Curtis, and then let her loose on the usual
Beatles covers (a lifeless "Something," a very relaxed and sensual "Here, There and Everywhere," and a dramatic take on "Carry That Weight") and pop tunes like
Jimmy Webb's "Didn't We" and
Laura Nyro's "Goodbye Joe." So far, so half decent. Where the album really takes off is on the tracks that sound more down-home and Southern, like those cribbed from
Dusty in Memphis ("Just a Little Lovin'," "Breakfast in Bed"), the
Willie Dixon blues "I Love the Life I Live," and the tracks written by
Tony Joe White (the funky-as-dirt "I Thought I Knew You Well" and "I Want You"). The band sounds totally in the groove on these cuts and
McRae responds with some supremely gritty performances. As with all her other Atlantic records, it's a mixed bag but well worth picking up for
Carmen McRae fans -- and if you aren't one, you should be! ~ Tim Sendra