Fine and Mellow: Live at Birdland West

Fine and Mellow: Live at Birdland West
Live album by Carmen McRae
Released	1988
Recorded	December 1987
Venue	Birdland West, Long Beach, California
Genre	Vocal jazz
Length	56:27
Label	Concord
Producer	Carl Jefferson
Carmen McRae chronology
The Carmen McRae – Betty Carter Duets (1987) Fine and Mellow: Live at Birdland West (1988) Carmen Sings Monk (1988)

Fine and Mellow: Live at Birdland West is a 1988 live album by Carmen McRae.^[1]

McRae was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards for her performance on this album.^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[3]

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow says that "Although Carmen McRae is the obvious star of her live record...she gives plenty of solo space to her notable all-star band". Yanow wrote of the songs that "McRae updates them a bit and makes them sound relevant and swinging. Recommended".^[1]

Track listing

1. "What Is This Thing Called Love?" (Cole Porter) – 6:46
2. "What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry?" (Walter Donaldson, Abe Lyman) – 5:07
3. "Fine and Mellow" (Billie Holiday) – 9:31
4. "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)" (Jack Strachey, Harry Link, Holt Marvell) – 5:20
5. "Black and Blue" (Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller) – 7:37
6. "One More Chance" (Carolyn A. Gillman) – 4:06
7. "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" (Mann Holiner, Alberta Nichols, Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin, L.E. Freeman) – 5:00
8. "My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More" (Eubie Blake, Razaf) – 6:44

Personnel

• Carmen McRae - vocals
• Red Holloway - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
• Jack McDuff - electric organ
• Phil Upchurch - guitar
• John Clayton - double bass
• Paul Humphrey - drums

References

This page was last edited on 22 December 2023, at 16:23