Carmen McRae

[Jaffa]

I have always loved the two sessions Carmen McRae's made for Bethlehem in 1954.

Recently, I picked up a CD which includes several alternate-takes that were new to me. The alternates of "You Made Me Care" and " Last Time For Love" differ considerably from the takes on the 10''-inch LP: Who plays the wonderful and impressive (Harmon-muted) trumpet legatos ? Influenced by Dizzy - but it's not him. Does anyone know who it is ?

Edited May 1, 2008 by Jaffa

[Ted O'Reilly]

I don't have the Bethlehems, so I can't listen to them, but according to the Lord 6.0, there isn't a trumpet on those sessions at all!

The alts. were in stereo, it says, (in late 1954--early stereo) and players were no different than the issued takes: Tony Scott, clt; Dick Katz, pno; Percy Heath, bass; Osie Johnson, drums. "Too Much In Love To Care" had an unidentified vibist added...

The Bethlehems were the first records under her own name, though she (as Carmen Clarke, from her marriage to Kenny Clarke) was on disc with Mercer Ellington for Musicraft and appears on a 1948 broadcast with Bird (and Miles! so maybe it's him) on Mosaic MD7-129.

[Jaffa]

Ted,

Thanks for your response.

I ask here because Lord/Bruyninckx are definitely not precise here: There IS a trumpet on the alt.-takes.

Incidentally, I'd say the "unknwon" vbs is Joe Roland (who also played clarinet) - but did he play trumpet ? I doubt it's him on the alt.-takes mentioned.

[Ted O'Reilly]

Ted,

Thanks for your response.

I ask here because Lord/Bruyninckx are definitely not precise here: There IS a trumpet on the alt.-takes.

Incidentally, I'd say the "unknwon" vbs is Joe Roland (who also played clarinet) - but did he play trumpet ? I doubt it's him on the alt.-takes mentioned.

My good friend Ted Ono, who knows as much as anyone about jazz singers, has sent me this note:

"They were artificially done by adding other musical instruments in stereo (done in the late 1950s). I believe one channel had more exaggerated bass. It was done for some budget reissue LP in the early stereo era. I don't think there was a single genuine alternate take. In this 1990s Bethlehem CD series's case, it was a ploy to sell the CD, which otherwise consisted of only nine tracks."

I'd take that as the final word, but as to WHO the added trumpeter is, ...???...

[Jaffa]

Ted,

Thank you very much for asking Ted Ono: This makes sense as Bethlehem (nor any other record-company) recorded in "real" Stereo in 1954. If the trumpet parts were indeed dubbed in at a later date, this was done in a very clever manner. And yes: The question remains unanswered...

[king ubu]

I wondered about that ever since I got the Bethlehem CD, too... (I have the Avenue/Rhino version)