''Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics'' is a 1962

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by Carmen McRae, recorded in tribute to McRae's idol, Billie Holiday, who had died two years previously.

Reception

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born October 4, 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author.Allmusic Biography/ref> Biography Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Since 1974, he was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles an ...

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".

Track listing

Them There Eyes "Them There Eyes" is a jazz song written by Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, and William Tracey that was published in 1930. One of the early recorded versions was performed by Louis Armstrong in 1931. It was made famous by Billie Holiday, who recorde ...

" (

Maceo Pinkard Maceo Pinkard (June 27, 1897 – July 21, 1962) was an American composer, lyricist, and music publisher. Among his compositions is "Sweet Georgia Brown", a popular standard for decades after its composition and famous as the theme of the Harlem ...

, Doris Tauber, William Tracey) - 2:45 #" Yesterdays" ( Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach) - 4:52 #" I'm Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away the Key)" (Jimmy Eaton,

Terry Shand Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...

) - 2:32 #"

Strange Fruit "Strange Fruit" is a song written and composed by Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan) and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The lyrics were drawn from a poem by Meeropol published in 1937. The song protests the lynching of Black ...

" ( Lewis Allen) - 2:47 #"

Miss Brown to You "Miss Brown to You" is a song with music composed by Richard A. Whiting and Ralph Rainger, and lyrics written by Leo Robin. It was first recorded on July 25, 1935, by Billie Holiday accompanied by Teddy Wilson and his orchestra. This version is ...

" (

Richard A. Whiting Richard Armstrong Whiting (November 12, 1891 – February 19, 1938) was an American composer of popular songs, including the standards "Hooray for Hollywood", "Ain't We Got Fun?" and "On the Good Ship Lollipop". He also wrote lyrics occasiona ...

, Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) - 2:28 #"

My Man "Mon Homme" (),also known by its English translation, "My Man", is a popular song first published in 1920. The song was originally composed by Maurice Yvain with French lyrics by Jacques-Charles (Jacques Mardochée Charles) and Albert Willemet ...

" (Maurice Yvain, Jacques Charles,

Albert Willemetz Albert Willemetz (14 February 1887 – 7 October 1964) was a French libretto, librettist. Career Albert Willemetz was a prolific lyricist. He invented a new type of musical, with a humorous and "sexy" style. He was the author of more than 3000 ...

, Channing Pollack) - 4:05 #" I Cried for You (Now It's Your Turn to Cry Over Me)" (

Gus Arnheim Gus Arnheim (September 4, 1897 – January 19, 1955) was an American pianist and an early popular band leader. He is noted for writing several songs with his first hit being "I Cried for You" from 1923. He was most popular in the 1920s and 1930s. He ...

, Abe Lyman, Arthur Freed) - 2:52 #" Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" ( Jimmy Davis,

Roger "Ram" Ramirez Roger "Ram" Ramirez (September 15, 1913 – 11 January 1994) was a Puerto Rican jazz pianist and composer. He was a co-composer of the song "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" Early life Ramirez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 15, 1 ...

, James Sherman) - 4:18 #" Trav'lin' Light" ( Trummy Young, Jimmy Mundy,

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...

) - 2:20 #"Some Other Spring" (

Arthur Herzog, Jr. Arthur Herzog Jr. (December 13, 1900 in New York City – September 1, 1983 in Detroit, Michigan) was a songwriter and composer. Career Herzog was most known for work with Billie Holiday. He co-wrote several jazz songs she popularized, including ...

, Irene Kitchings) - 3:02 #"

What a Little Moonlight Can Do "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" is a popular song written by Harry M. Woods in 1934. In 1934, Woods moved to London for three years where he worked for the British film studio Gaumont British, contributing material to several films, one of which ...

" ( Harry Woods) - 3:31 #" God Bless the Child" (Herzog, Billie Holiday) - 3:24 ;Bonus tracks on the 1997 CD reissue: #

"If the Moon Turns Green" (

Bernie Hanighen Bernard D. Hanighen (April 27, 1908 in Omaha, Nebraska – October 19, 1976 in New York City, New York) Attended Hackley School (Tarrytown, New York) - Class of 1926, also attended Harvard University - Class of 1930. He was an American songwrit ...

, Paul Coates) - 3:28 #" The Christmas Song" ( Bob Wells,

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Op ...

) - 3:55

Personnel

*Carmen McRae - vocals ;Norman Simmons' Sextet * Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - tenor saxophone * Nat Adderley - trumpet *

Norman Simmons Norman Simmons (1915–2004) was a DNA research pioneer."Obituaries". ''Harvard Dental Bulletin'' 10(4): 28. Fall 2004-Winter 2005. Simmons worked with Elkan Blout on proteins and polypeptides and was also recognized for isolating a structural ...

- piano, arranger *

Mundell Lowe James Mundell Lowe (April 21, 1922 – December 2, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist who worked often in radio, television, and film, and as a session musician. He produced film and TV scores in the 1970s, such as the ''Billy Jack'' soundtrac ...

- guitar *

Bob Cranshaw Melbourne Robert Cranshaw (December 3, 1932 – November 2, 2016) was an American jazz bassist. His career spanned the heyday of Blue Note Records to his recent involvement with the Musicians Union. He is perhaps best known for his long associa ...

- double bass *

Walter Perkins Walter Perkins may refer to: * Walter Perkins (musician) (1932–2004), American jazz drummer * Walter Perkins (Stroud MP) (1903–1988), Conservative Party politician in England * Walter E. Perkins Walter Eugene Perkins (1859–1925) was an Am ...

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

;Technical * Fred Plaut - recording engineer *Henry "Hank" Parker - cover photography

References

{{Authority control 1962 albums Carmen McRae albums Columbia Records albums Billie Holiday tribute albums Albums produced by Teo Macero Albums produced by Carmen McRae