Carmen McRae - Carmen McRae for Lovers

Romantic ballads were Carmen Mcrae's specialty, and her streetwise yet sophisticated phrasing carried just enough world-weariness to suggest that she actually understood what she was singing about (being in love or having been in love doesn't automatically mean you can convincingly sing about it -- Mcrae could, though). This collection of mid- to late-'50s material for Decca Records doubles both as a collection of love songs and as a fine introduction to the singer in her early years -- when she still had full control of her upper vocal register. Read More