''Tonight Only!'' is a 1961 album by the

Dave Brubeck Quartet David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

featuring the singer

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

. This was the first of three albums that Brubeck and McRae would make together, they would later work on '' Take Five Live'' (1961) and '' The Real Ambassadors'' (1962). Brubeck praised McRae's lyrical interpretations of his songs, later stating that "Carmen has added even to my own understanding of the music". Brubeck's wife, Iola, contributed lyrics to three songs: "Weep No More", "Briar Bush" and "Strange Meadow Lark".

Reception

The ''Billboard'' magazine review from 5 June 1961 chose ''Tonight Only!'' as one of its 'Spotlight Winners of the Week' and commented, "Brubeck teams up with canary Carmen McRae on this package and the results are eminently tasteful and listenable". The album was reviewed by

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 ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

who wrote, "One of the more obscure Dave Brubeck albums is really a showcase for the young singer Carmen McRae who performs nine numbers ...McRae is in fine voice but strangely enough all of the songs (except for "Strange Meadowlark") have been long forgotten. Stronger material would have resulted in a more memorable session".

Track listing

# "Melanctha" - 9:58 # "Weep No More" (Dave Brubeck, Iola Brubeck) - 2:49 # "Talkin' and Walkin'" (

Eugene Wright Eugene Joseph Wright (May 29, 1923 – December 30, 2020) was an American jazz bassist who was a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Career Wright was a cornetist at high school and led the 16-piece band Dukes of Swing in his 20s. He was large ...

) - 4:24 # "Briar Bush" (D. Brubeck, I. Brubeck) - 2:58 # "Paradiddle Joe" (Johnny Morris, Fred Parries, Jerry Pugsley) - 2:00 # "Late Lament" (

Paul Desmond Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer, best known for his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's biggest hit, " ...

) - 6:17 # "Strange Meadow Lark" (D. Brubeck, I. Brubeck) - 2:38 # "Tristesse" (D. Brubeck) - 4:58 # "Tonight Only" (D. Brubeck) - 7:27 ''Tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, with McRae, were recorded on September 9, 1960; tracks 1 and 8 were recorded December 14, and on the following day, December 15, tracks 3, 6 and 9. Track 8, "Tristesse", is a piano solo by Brubeck.''Tonight Only!
at Jazzdisco.org

Personnel

;The Dave Brubeck Quartet: *

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

Gene Wright Eugene Joseph Wright (May 29, 1923 – December 30, 2020) was an American jazz bassist who was a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Career Wright was a cornetist at high school and led the 16-piece band Dukes of Swing in his 20s. He was large ...

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

Joe Morello Joseph Albert Morello (July 17, 1928 – March 12, 2011) was an American jazz drummer best known for serving as the drummer for pianist Dave Brubeck, as part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, from 1957 to 1972, including during the quartet's "classic ...

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 ...

;with *

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

(2, 4, 5, 7) ;Production *

Teo Macero Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero (October 30, 1925 – February 19, 2008) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years. Macero produced Miles Davis' ''Bitches Brew'', and Dave ...

- producer, liner notes *Henry Parker - photography

References

{{Authority control 1961 albums Albums produced by Teo Macero Columbia Records albums Dave Brubeck albums Carmen McRae albums