Carmen McRae

Carmen McRae was born Carmen Mercedes McRae on April 8, 1920 in Harlem to Jamaican immigrant parents. She began playing piano at eight and when she was seventeen she met Teddy Wilson's wife, Irene Kitchings Wilson, who introduced her to all the jazz stars including Billie Holiday. Billie was to become Carmen's main influence.

In her late teens and early twenties Carmen played piano at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem where she met the drummer Kenny Clarke who would become her husband. She sang with Benny Carter's Big Band and then with Count Basie in 1944. She played piano with Mercer Ellington's Band and made her first recording.

In the late 1940's and early 1950's Carmen is in Chicago playing piano and singing. She moves back to New York in 1952 and records for the Bethlehem, Venus, and Stardust labels. In 1954 Downbeat magazine votes her Best New Female Vocalist and in 1955 she signs with Decca and records the first of 12 albums for that label. In the late 1950's her and Kenny Clarke are divorced and she marries her bassist Ike Isaacs. However, by 1961 they divorce.

In 1967 Carmen moves to Los Angeles and she enjoyed bookings in clubs, festivals and concert halls. She was a performer at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1961, 62, 63, 66, 71, 73, and 82. Her last public performance was in May 1991 at the Blue Note in New York. She was awarded a Master's of Jazz award  for lifetime achievement from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1994 and on November 10th of that year she passed away at her home.

My favorite recording of Carmen's is "The Great American Songbook" recorded live at Donte's in Los Angeles. She is backed by Jimmy Rowles on piano, Joe Pass on guitar, Chuck Domanico on bass and drummer Chuck Flores.

The songs include "Satin Doll," "At Long Last Love," "Day by Day," "I Only Have Eyes For You," "Sunday," "I Cried For You," "Three Little Words," and "I Thought About You" among others.





Here's a video of Carmen singing "Body and Soul"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=zOEMym54XQY

Scott Hamilton

Scott Hamilton was born on September 12, 1954 in Providence, RI. He never had any formal training but tried out several instruments, drums, piano, and mouth-organ, before settling on the saxophone at age sixteen.

In 1976 he moved to New York and through Roy Eldridge got a six week gig at Michael's Pub. In 1977 Scott formed his own quartet and started to record for Concord Records. More than forty albums later he is still recording for them both under his own name and as one of the Concord Jazz All-Stars. He can be heard backing Rosemary Clooney on her Concord releases and as a member of Ruby Braff's New England Song Hounds in the 1980's.

For some years Scott was based in London but now travels the world from Italy. He regularly tours Europe and Japan and returns to America three or four times a year to play at festivals.


I just finished listening to "Nocturnes and Serenades" This is a 2006 Concord release. Scott's on tenor sax with his U.K. rhythm section comprised of John Pearce on piano, Dave Green on bass and drummer Steve Brown.

There are 10 tracks on this CD which include "Man With a Horn," "Autumn Nocturne," "Flamingo," Serenade in Blue," "You Go to My Head," and "Chelsea Bridge" among others.



Here's a video of Scott playing "East of the Sun,West of the Moon."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RPulo4KMYo&feature=player_detailpage

Horace Silver

Horace Silver was born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva on September 2, 1928 in Norwalk, CT. His father was of Portuguese descent and his mother was of Irish and African descent. He was introduced to Portuguese music through his father.

Horace began playing the saxophone and switched to the piano in high school. After high school he led trios in Connecticut and he was discovered by Stan Getz in 1950. Getz brought him on the road and it was with Getz that Silver made his first recording.

In 1951 he moved to NYC where he met Art Blakey. They were to form the Jazz Messengers and in 1953-56 they recorded some fine albums. Horace branched out in 1956 and started leading his own groups. He began recording for Blue Note and would stay with them until 1980. He stayed very busy recording and composing.

After leaving Blue Note in 1980 Silver recorded on his own label (Silveto). He continued to record and tour throughout the 1980's and 1990's. He is the composer of such tunes as "Blowin' the Blues Away," "Sister Sadie," "Peace," "Song for my Father," and "The Tokyo Blues." He was a pioneer in the style known as "hard bop" and presently lives in California.

I just finished listening to "Blowin' the Blues Away." This is a 1959 Blue Note release. It includes Silver's compositions "Blowin' the Blues Away," "Peace," "Sister Sadie," and "Melancholy Mood."

The quintet lineup includes Horace Silver on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor saxophone, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums.





Here's a video of the young Horace playing "Song for my Father."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8B2GZ0MfuPQ

Billy Eckstine

Billy Eckstine was born William Clarence Eckstein on July 8, 1914 in Pittsburgh, Pa. His grandparents were a mixed race lawfully married couple. He changed the spelling of his last name at the request of a club owner because it looked Jewish.

Moving to Washington, DC, Billy began singing at the age of seven. He had wanted to be a football player but a broken collar bone changed his career plans to music. He attended Howard University but left after winning an amateur talent contest.

In 1939 Eckstine signed on with the Earl Hines Orchestra as the male vocalist. He recorded such jukebox hits as "Stormy Monday Blues," "Jelly,Jelly," and "You Don't Know What Love Is." He left the Hines Band in 1943.

In 1944 Billy formed his own Orchestra, becoming a vehicle to showcase his rich baritone voice and also as a training ground for young Bebop musicians. His band included such future stars as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Art Blakey. His hits included "Cottage For Sale," "Prisoner of Love," and "I'm in the Mood For Love." It became apparent that it was Billy's voice the people wanted to hear and so in 1947 he disbanded his orchestra and became a solo performer.

Eckstine won Esquire Magazine's "New Star Award" in 1946, the Downbeat readers' poll from 1948 to 1952, and the Metronome award for "Top Male Vocalist" from 1949 to 1954.

Billy signed on with MGM Records and he recorded such hits as "My Foolish Heart," and "I Apologize" both reported to be million sellers. He maintained a successful career into the early 1990's with nightclub and concert performances and he also continued to record. In 1986 he recorded his final album "Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter" which was nominated for a Grammy.

Billy Eckstine was known as "Mr. B." He died March 8, 1993 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Earlier today I listened to "Billy's Best" a 1958 Mercury release. Arrangers are Henry Mancini and Pete Rugolo. Eckstine's baritone and vibrato are in top form.

There are 18 tracks on this recording. The tunes include "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Stella by Starlight," "You Don't Know What Love Is," "A Sunday Kind of Love," "That Ole Devil Called Love," "Prisoner of Love," and "Vertigo."




Here's a video of Billy and his Orchestra doing the hit "Prisoner of Love."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWuGF-Xh-RM&feature=player_detailpage