CARMEN MCCRAE-I AM MUSIC.

dereksmusicblog ♦ January 19, 2013 ♦ Leave a comment

CARMEN MCCRAE-I AM MUSIC.

There’s not many artists who, during their career, release over sixty albums and are nominated for seven Grammy Awards. Carmen McCrae did both. It’s no understatement to say that Carmen McCrae was one of the most influential jazz singers in musical history. Having referred to Carmen McCrae as a jazz singer is almost an understatement. Although best known as a jazz singer, there’s much more to Carmen’s career than just jazz. Inspired by the great Billie Holliday, Carmen was a versatile singer, just just as comfortable singing popular music as jazz. Her voice has a warmth and soulfulness. Quite simply, Carmen brought a song to life. So it’s no surprise that in 1975, Carmen McCrae signed to one of the greatest labels in music…Blue Note Records. Her 1975 Blue Note debut I Am Music, which will be rereleased by BBR Records on 28th January 2013, marked the next chapter in Carmen McCrae’s career. Would this new chapter to Carmen McCrae’s career, which opened with I Am Music prove successful?

By the time Carmen McCrae signed to Blue Note, she was already an experienced singer. Her recording career had started in 1953, when she’d released her debut album A Foggy Day With Carmen McCrae on Stardust Records. After that, Carmen had worked with many legendary jazz musicians, including Dave Brubeck. Similarly,  Carmen had been signed to some of the biggest record companies.

Decca, Columbia and Atlantic had all been home for Carmen. Now she’d arrived at the iconic jazz label Blue Note. Carmen was one of the first female artists to sign to Blue Note. Marlena Shaw had been the first. and now that Blue Note’s door was open, Carmen strolled through it. By the time Carmen prepared to release her Blue Note debut, I Am Music, music was changing. Even Carmen’s beloved jazz was changing. Although jazz-funk was at the height of its popularity, jazz was no longer as popular. Soul, disco and rock had now surpassed jazz in popularity. So it was against this backdrop, that Carmen began work on what would become I Am Music, her Blue Note debut. 

Now at Blue Note, Carmen’s voice had changed and matured. Similarly, under Dr. George Butler, Blue Note Records had changed. He’d been made a director in 1972, and set about making Blue Note the powerhouse it previously had been. Albums by artists like Donald Byrd, Ronnie Foster and Bobbi Humphrey proved commercial successful. Then Marlena Shaw somewhat belatedly, become the first female singer signed to Blue Note. It seemed the sixties sexual revolution had spurred Blue Note into action. For Carmen McCrae’s Blue Note debut, I Am Music, Roger Kelloway was chosen to produce the album.

I Am Music featured ten tracks. They were a mixture of new songs and cover versions. Bernard Ighner, who had already established a reputation as a successful songwriter, penning songs for Marlena Shaw, Jon Lucien, Jerry Butler and Sergio Mendes contributed two songs, A Letter For Anna-Lee and You Know Who You Are. Marilyn and Alan Bergman contributed five songs. They cowrote Like A Lover and with Dave Gruisin penned The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye. Quincy Jones joined them to write Faraway Lover and producer Roger Kelloway cowrote I Have the Feeling I’ve Been Here Before. The Bergman’s other contribution was Who Gave You Permission? Two songs written by Jelsa Palao, I Never Lied To You and I Am Music, plus a cover of Lieber and Stoller’s I Ain’t There made up I Am Music. Recording of I Am Music took place at United and Western Studios in Los Angeles, during April 1975.

Joining Carmen McCrae for the recording sessions of I Am Music were some of the most talented jazz players. This included a rhythm section of drummers Spider Web and John Geurin, bassist John Ginaelli and guitarist Dennis Budimir. Roger Kelloway played piano and Dave Grusin Fender Rohdes and Arp. They were joined by a string and horn section. Once I Am Music was completed, it was released in August 1975.

On the release of I Am Music in August 1975, it reached number fifty-six in the US R&B Charts and number twenty-two in the US Jazz Charts. In the UK, Who Gave You Permission was released as a single in October 1975, but failed to chart. Carmen McCrae’s career at Blue Note had got off to a successful start with I Am Music, which I’ll now tell you about.

Opening I Am Music, is the Benrnard Ingher penned A Letter For Anna-Lee. After the melancholy, wistful introduction where keyboards, piano and the rhythm section provide an understated backdrop, comes that unmistakable voice. With its lived-in, weary and resigned sound, Carmen carefully and deliberately delivers the lyrics. It’s a voice that’s lived a thousand lives and survived to tell the tale. Gradually, the arrangement grows in power and drama. Strings cascade, the rhythm section adds drama as keyboards provide an atmospheric backdrop. Carmen though takes centre-stage, with powerful, dramatic vocal. She questions, probes and pleads: “do you care?” Given the emotion and feeling in her voice, surely that’s a rhetorical question?

Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye has a similar understated introduction as the opening track. Percussion, tender harmonies, keyboards and weeping guitars set the scene for Carmen’s vocal. It’s heartfelt, tinged with sadness and regret. Soon, her vocal grows in power, as breathes life, meaning and emotion into the lyrics. Harmonies are added at the perfect time, cascading above the arrangement. From there, Carmen delivers a heartbreakingly beautiful and deeply moving vocal.

Faraway Forever is Quincy Jones’ Love Theme From The Getaway soundtrack, with additional lyrics by Marilyn and Alan Bergman. They allow Carmen to roll back the years. Quite simply, her delivery is vintage Carmen McCrae. Again, the arrangement doesn’t overpower Carmen’s vocal. Just standup bass, drums played with brushes and piano accompany her slow, wistful vocal. She delivers each syllable with the utmost care. Soon, Carmen has given herself over to the lyrics, delivering them real feeling. Melancholy strings, subtle vibes and occasional flourishes of harpsichord accompany Carmen. As the years roll back, Carmen demonstrates just why she’s one of the finest jazz vocalists ever. One listen, proves this.

I Ain’t Here sees Carmen deliver Lieber and Stoller’s lyrics with a sassy swing. In an age when musical arrangements were growing ever lavish, all Carmen needs is jazzy piano to accompany her confident, sassy, fiery vocal. Finger clicks and the occasional roll of the bass drum accompany her. The result is a delicious reminder of how jazz used to sound, courtesy of Carmen McCrae.

You Know Who You Are is the second Benrnard Ingher song. Just the piano, the rhythm section, Hammond organ and growling horns set the scene for Carmen. Her powerful, impassioned vocal is accompanied by soaring, gospel tinged harmonies. Then with just the rhythm section and keyboards for company, Carmen delivers one of her best vocals. One minute it’s wistful, tinged with heartache and regret, the next hope and forgiveness shine through. Wiser and stronger, with celebratory gospel style harmonies for company, Carmen is reborn, while demonstrating her versatility as a vocalist and as a storyteller.

I Have The Feeling I’ve Been Here Before is an apt title, given the song sounds like its from another era. Strings wistful and weeping, are joined by standup bass and piano. Carmen’s slow, deliberate reading of the lyrics, highlights their meaning and potency. Flourishes of harp accompany her, as she carefully annunciates lyrics. Swathes of strings add to the emotion and beauty, as Carmen takes you on a melancholy, rueful trip down memory lane, to when music, like life, was very different.

Who Gave You Permission was a track the Bergans cowrote with Billy Goldenberg, for the TV movie Queen of The Stardust Ballroom. Layers of strings tug at your heartstrings, while the arrangement meanders and dances along. Just vibes, piano and the rhythm section accompany the strings. Carmen’s delivery is different. It’s half-spoken vocal. She reminisces, remembering times and places. Now she’s alone, lonely and heartbroken, Carmen asks” Who Gave You Permission” to leave?

For more years than I care to remember, I’ve championed Jon Lucien’s music. Like A Lover is one of Jon’s best known songs. Jon’s version might be the best version, but Carmen’s comes close. With quivering, shivering strings, guitars reverberating and piano combining, Carmen slows the song down, carefully and tenderly delivering the Bergam’s beautiful lyrics. You can’t fail to adore this song. Quite simply, you surrender to its beauty, allowing it to wash over you. Not only is this the best song on I Am Music, but sees Carmen McCrae reinvent a classic track.

I Never Lied To You is the first of two consecutive Jelsa Palao songs. Just a subtle backdrop of ethereal harmonies, piano, wandering bass and guitar accompany Carmen’s pensive vocal. Heartache and hope fill her voice, as it soars and swoops. One minute it’s tender, the next powerful. Always, it’s filled with emotion, hope and heartache competing with each other.

Closing I Am Music is the title-track I Am Music. Just a piano accompanies Carmen’s gentle, thoughtful vocal. Strings reflect the pensive nature of Carmen’s vocal. Soon, the arrangement and Carmen’s vocal grows in power and drama. So too does the emotion that fills her voice. Midway through the track, the rhythm section, flourishes of harpsichord, layers of strings and piano combine with Carmen as the song builds and builds. Woodwind join the arrangement as Carmen delivers one of her most dramatic, emotive vocals, closing I Am Music beautifully and pensively.

Twenty-two years after Carmen McCrae released her debut album A Foggy Day With Carmen McCrae in 1953, and after dalliances with Decca, Columbia and Atlantic, Carmen released I Am Music for jazz’s premier label Blue Note. This must have seemed the perfect fit for Carmen. She was now fifty-five, and one of the most celebrated jazz singers of her generation. So Blue Note must have seemed the perfect label for her career to thrive. Thrive it did.

Carmen McCrae’s career seemed to be rejuvenated at Blue Note. That’s no surprise, given the label was run by many people who knew and understood jazz music. This seemed to spur Carmen on, encouraging her to create one of her best albums of the seventies. I Am Music, which will be rereleased by BBR Music on 28th January 2013, is Carmen McCrae at her very best. Here, Carmen McCrae, the first Lady of jazz is at her very best, delivering each track on I Am Music with care, emotion, soulfulness and beauty. Quite fittingly and apt, is the title, which describes Carmen McCrae perfectly, I Am Music. Standout Tracks: A Letter For Anna-Lee, Faraway Forever, Like A Lover and I Never Lied To You.

CARMEN MCCRAE-I AM MUSIC.