8 Classic Albums

I can't say enough good things about this encyclopedic collection of original albums by the great vocalists of the mid twentieth century! As the name of the series suggest, you get seven or eight of their classic albums not just another greatest hits where you'll simply end up with repetitions of what you already have. This one focuses on the amazing and lively vocals of the great Carmen McRae! Carmen makes light work of many of the standards we and love and surprises us with some tunes not as often heard. One highlight is the Weil/Nash classic Speak Low that misquotes Shakespere so beautifully. Also recorded by great artists such as Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand Carmen lends it her unique and perfect pitch and phrasing. Also of note is the Billy Strayorn written and composed Lush Life, a tribute to failed love and it's consolation in the world's deluxe watering holes. One entere album of note is Mcrae's tribute to the great Billie Holiday where she records a heart-rending version of God Bless the Child lending it her own unique twist. I already have two collections in this series by Dinah Wasngton and one of Frank Sinatra and will definitely be back for more!

I paid less than $5.00 for this set and I don't regret the purchase. I am not an audiophile and I have been happy with the Real Gone jazz reissues that I have bought. This was the first set where there was a significant sound issue. Discs one, two and four were just fine for my tastes but the last half of disc three (tracks 13-24) has truly bad sound quality. Volume varies between tracks and it sounds like someone was adjusting a treble button up and down (not sure, as I said I'm not an audiophile). I do agree with another review which said, it is great to have Carmen's early albums. And with the majority sounding well, it is still a good buy if you can find it cheaply. I might have held out for another collection though if I had known about disc three's problems.

…because I think some of these discs are first-rate, while some are less so. There are four CDs herein, and the middle ones are especially hokey with strings and other arrangements: bongos here, flutes there, etc. Sometimes that arranging gets in the way of Carmen's singing, or at least in the way of my listening.But things clear out by the fourth CD, which is simply superb. Her voice is clear as a bell throughout; I wasn't too familiar with her sound, but this delicious dive into early work confirms what the addicts say about her being at the top of the jazz singers. Almost all of the cuts are standards, so you don't have to hack through lesser numbers. Definitely worth buying, and at this price, it's a pure steal.(Another minor quibble: no ID on the 8-page booklet of who's playing on the various numbers. 6 of those 8 pages are devoted to advertising other CDs.)

I remember hearing an interview with a jazz musician who recalled walking in New York with Miles Davis. They passed a theater that displayed a poster announcing an appearance by Ella Fitzgerald, referring to her as "The first lady of jazz." Miles said, "If she's the first lady of jazz, then what the f___ is Carmen?"From the very beginning, Carmen Mcrae's phrasing revealed the soul of each song she interpreted. This collection of eight albums on four CDs is pure joy to listen to.

Here, Ms. McRae is still relatively young over the span of these original recordings. She can still do rather well with the falsettos and holds a not rather nicely. I had downloaded the '...Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics' album over a year before and was delighted to also have it on CD format. The other albums are all equally or nearly as good. An excellent choice for those who are fans of modern jazz or even those who are seeking to be immersed into the genre.

Those of us, who are familiar with Carmen's early output of albums, knows how exquisite they are. My input here, is to the sound quality of this set, because RealGoneJazz has put out a few, less than high quality sounding box sets. The Carmen McRae Box Set, I am happy to say, has very nice sound. I would even guess, that these are the remastered versions, because even the oldest album, sounds beautiful. You take your chances with these UK Royalty Free Box Sets, but this one is just fine. Enjoy!

Great CD. She is a wonderful yet underrated singer. From listening to this CD she can sing circles around some of the light weights being promoted by the media. It is no wonder that many of us have lost our way. We can't understand the words to the music. This CD provides the opportunity for many to hear real music and not the over hyped stuff played on FM radio.

One of the greatest jazz divas, Carmen McRae's contribution to jazz vocals is excellently captured on this collection of 8 of her finest albums, backed by some of the best jazz backing musicians and orchestras.

As with other "Classic Albums" there are more albums than there are CDs, so, if you are loading into iTunes, be prepared to do some editing to separate the eight albums. On seven of the eight, Carmen is backed by orchestral accompaniment which I find rather saccharine. But on "Lover Man and Other Billie Holliday Classics" she is singing with real jazz muscicians (Nat Adderley, Lockjaw Davis, Norman Simmons, Mundell Lowe, Bob Cranshaw, and Walter Perkins.). Since a single copy of this album costs more than the Eight Classics, "Lover Man" makes this a worthwhile purchase.

Carmen McCrea (1920-1994) at the age of eighteen wrote a song, "Dream of Life" which was recorded by Billie Holliday (and included here on the album "After Glow" on disc 4).She worked with various bands including Benny Carter, Count Basie and Mercer Ellington, before setting out on her own in 1953.This compilation covers the period 1954 to 1961. Always an admirer of Holliday's, she recorded a tribute album covering many of her better known songs, which is included on disc 4.Somewhat in the shadow of Ella and Sarah, she was still a great performer in her own right; these recordings cover a wide range of standards, impeccably done.The sound has been transferred from the original LP's, not the master tapes and the quality varies from album to album. Overall, however, played on my mid-priced, fifteen year old surround system, it is more than acceptable.

il prodotto è arrivato nei tempi previsti, ho potuto esaminarlo soltanto alcuni giorni dopo causa assenza.Purtroppo alcune tracce sono danneggiate e non ascoltabili, ma non è imputabile al venditore, per fortuna le stesse tracce le ho da altre incisioni.

Bargain-priced 4-CD set covering 8 vintage Carmen McRae albums.Sound quality is quite acceptable for these early recordings (mid 1950s - early1960s), but volume levels vary between some albums.Only criticism is the poor quality of the jewel case - the nodes holding the CDs are so brittle that two of them have already shattered into small pieces when the package was opened. This caused small scratches to the dislodged CDs during shipping.

Huit albums pour même pas le prix d'un seul, qui dit mieux ? En tous cas, une excellente initiation (et même un peu plus) à la voix de Carmen McRae, la grande méconnue du jazz vocal.