Carmen McRae – The Complete Ralph Burns Sessions Featuring Ben Webster (1958/2021) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

This edition combines several outstanding sessions by Carmen McRae – dating between December 1955 and August 1958 – under the musical direction of the brilliant arranger and conductor Ralph Burns. Armed with an orchestra boasting a 10-piece string section, Burns’ subtle and evocative charts provide a strong yet delicate support that gracefully enhances the vocalist’s talents without ever overpowering her. The addition of guest soloist tenor saxophonist Ben Webster – who for contractual reasons recorded here under the pseudonym “A Tenorman” – brought another dimension to the magical quality of these recordings. His breathy and expressive sound proves the perfect counterpoint to McRae’s versatile and passionate vocal style.

“I tried to write arrangements that would lend Carmen the freedom to be fully expressive. What we had in mind was the loose, relaxed quality typical of a party where pressure is non-existent, and a singer can sing to suit herself.” – Ralph Burns

Tracklist:
01 Last Night When We Were Young 2:38 (Arlen-Harburg)
02 Midnight Sun 3:45 (Burke-Hampton-Mercer)
03 Yesterdays 2:35 (Kern-Harbach)
04 Good Morning Heartache 3:21 (Drake-Fisher-Higginbotham)
05 Mr. Meadowlark 2:42 (Donaldson-Mercer)
06 Skylark 3:00 (Carmichael-Mercer)
07 Bye Bye Blackbird 3:25 (Henderson-Dixon)
08 Flamingo 3:43 (Grouya-Anderson)
09 A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square 4:56 (Maschwitz-Sherwin)
10 When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano 2:33 (Rene)
11 His Eye Is On The Sparrow 3:19 (Gabler)
12 The Eagle And Me 2:45 (Arlen-Harburg)
13 When The Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along 2:27 (Woods)
14 Bob White (Watcha Gonna Swing Tonight?) 2:55 (Hanighen-Mercer)
15 Baltimore Oriole 3:51 (Carmichael-Webster)
16 Chicken Today And Feathers Tomorrow 3:11 (Marks)
17 Speak Low (When You Speak Love) 3:08 (Weill-Nash) (*)
18 But Beautiful 2:55 (Van Heusen-Burke) (*)
19 If You’d Stay The Way I Dream About You 2:45 (Kitchings-Herzog) (*)
20 My Future Just Passed 3:16 (Whiting-Marion) (*)
21 We’ll Be Together Again 3:04 (Fisher-Lane) (*)
22 I’m A Dreamer, Aren’t We All? 2:46 (Brown-DeSylva-Henderson) (*)
23 Star Eyes 3:08 (Raye-DePaul) (*)
24 I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You 3:13 (Young-Washington-Crosby) (*)
(*) Bonus Tracks