Great Women Of Song - Carmen McRae

Like her idol Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae had the ability to make a ballad completely her own. At the same time, however, she also knew how to swing as brilliantly as her other great role model, Ella Fitzgerald. The singer, who grew up in the bebop era, made a series of recordings for Decca Records in the 1950s - sometimes with smaller ensembles, sometimes with studio orchestras - which cemented her reputation as a uniquely witty interpreter. This collection contains her best recordings from this period, including a song with Sammy Davis Jr. as a duet partner.