Portrait of Carmen

1968 studio album by Carmen McRae

Portrait of Carmen

Studio album by

Carmen McRae

Released

1968

Recorded

November 27–29, 1967

Studio

United Recording Studio, Los Angeles

Genre

Vocal jazz

Length

56:27

Label

Atlantic SD 8165

Producer

Nesuhi Ertegun^[1]

Carmen McRae chronology

For Once in My Life
(1967)

Portrait of Carmen
(1968)

The Sound of Silence
(1968)

Portrait of Carmen is a 1968 studio album by Carmen McRae, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson, Shorty Rogers, Benny Carter and Gene Di Novi.^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[2]

The Allmusic review by Jason Ankeny awarded the album four stars and said that "Portrait of Carmen doesn't so much update the great Carmen McRae's sound and sensibility as it reflects a world that's finally caught up to her way of thinking, capitalizing on the irony and sophistication so long essential to her music to create a record that is both fiercely individual and universally accessible. The title's no afterthought...Portrait of Carmen captures her brilliance for posterity".^[2]

Track listing

"I'm Always Drunk in San Francisco" (Tommy Wolf) - 3:04
"Elusive Butterfly" (Bob Lind) - 3:03
"Day by Day" (Sammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston) - 2:28
"When You Get Around Me" (Fred E. Ahlert) - 2:57
"Walking Happy" (Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 2:40
"My Very Own Person" (Gene Di Novi) - 2:59
"Ask Any Woman" (Gerald Langley, J. Stewart) - 3:01
"Boy, Do I Have a Surprise for You" (Novi) - 3:26
"Loads of Love" (Richard Rodgers) - 3:58
"I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do" (Lee Pockriss, Paul Vance) - 4:34
"Wonder Why" (Nicholas Brodszky, Cahn) - 2:14

Personnel

Carmen McRae - vocals
Oliver Nelson - arranger
Shorty Rogers - arranger
Benny Carter
Gene Di Novi
Gene Cipriano - saxophone, flute
Harry Klee - flute
Lew McCreary - trombone
George Roberts
Louis Blackburn
Billy Byers
Frank Rosolino
Ernie Tack
Francis Howard
Dick Nash
David Duke - French horn
William Hinshaw
Harry Sigismonti
Dennis Budimir - guitar
Howard Roberts
Tommy Tedesco
John Collins
Dominick Fera - saxophone
Justin Gordon
John Lowe
Theodore Nash
Buddy Collette
Bill Green
Anthony Ortega
Frank Strozier
John Audino - trumpet
James Salko
Jimmy Zito
Bobby Bryant
Conte Candoli
Freddie Hill
Al Porcino
Richard Perissi - French horn
Harry Sigismonti
Ann Mason - harp
Ray Brown - double bass
Norman Simmons - piano
Earl Palmer - drums
Jack Perling
Shelly Manne
Victor Feldman - percussion
Lou Singer
Dale Anderson

References

^ "Carmen McRae – Portrait of Carmen (1968) | Sounds of the Universe".
^ ^a ^b ^c "Portrait of Carmen". Allmusic. Retrieved July 20, 2011.

Carmen McRae

Studio
albums

Carmen McRae
Torchy
Blue Moon
After Glow
Mad About the Man
Carmen for Cool Ones
Birds of a Feather
Book of Ballads
When You're Away
Something to Swing About
Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics
For Once in My Life
Portrait of Carmen
The Sound of Silence
Just a Little Lovin'
November Girl
It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling
Ms. Jazz
Can't Hide Love
I'm Coming Home Again
Heat Wave
You're Lookin' at Me (A Collection of Nat King Cole Songs)
Any Old Time
Carmen Sings Monk
Sarah: Dedicated to You

Duet
albums

Boy Meets Girl with Sammy Davis Jr.
Porgy and Bess with Sammy Davis Jr.
Two for the Road with George Shearing
The Carmen McRae – Betty Carter Duets

Live
albums

Tonight Only!
Take Five Live
Woman Talk
The Great American Songbook
At the Great American Music Hall
Recorded Live at Bubba's
Fine and Mellow: Live at Birdland West

Performing Music from The Subterraneans
The Real Ambassadors
Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday at Newport

v t e Benny Carter
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release.
As leader or co-leader	Alone Together (1952) Cosmopolite (1952–54) Benny Carter Plays Pretty (1954) New Jazz Sounds (and Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Harris, 1954) Urbane Jazz (and Roy Eldridge, 1955) Jazz Giant (1957–58) Swingin' the '20s (and Earl Hines, 1958) Further Definitions/Additions to Further Definitions (1961/1966) Carter, Gillespie Inc. (and Dizzy Gillespie]], 1976) Benny Carter Meets Oscar Peterson (1986) Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter (1986)
Songs	"Cow-Cow Boogie" (1942)

v t e Oliver Nelson
Discography
Studio albums	Meet Oliver Nelson (1959) Taking Care of Business (1960) Screamin' the Blues (1960) Nocturne (1961) Soul Battle (1960) Straight Ahead (1961) The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961) Afro/American Sketches (1962) Impressions of Phaedra (1962) Fantabulous (1964) More Blues and the Abstract Truth (1964) Happenings ( 1966) Oliver Nelson Plays Michelle (1966) Sound Pieces (1966) Encyclopedia of Jazz (1965–66) The Sound of Feeling (1966–67) Jazzhattan Suite (1967) The Spirit of '67 (1967) The Kennedy Dream (1967) Soulful Brass (1968) Black, Brown and Beautiful (1969) Oliver Edward Nelson in London with Oily Rags (1974) Skull Session (1975) Stolen Moments (1975)
Live albums	Live from Los Angeles (1967) Berlin Dialogue for Orchestra (1970) Leon Thomas in Berlin (1971) Swiss Suite (1972)

v t e Shorty Rogers
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, except where noted.
As leader or co-leader	Modern Sounds (1951) Popo (1951) Shorty Rogers and His Giants (1953–54) Cool and Crazy (1953) Bud Shank – Shorty Rogers – Bill Perkins (1954–55) Collaboration (1954) Shorty Rogers Courts the Count (1954) Martians Come Back! (1955) Martians Stay Home (1955) The Swinging Mr. Rogers (1955) Way Up There (1955) Portrait of Shorty (1957) Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers (1957) Wherever the Five Winds Blow (1957) Afro-Cuban Influence (1958) Chances Are It Swings (1958) Gigi in Jazz (1958) The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs (1959) The Swingin' Nutcracker (1960) An Invisible Orchard (1961) The Fourth Dimension in Sound (1961) Bossa Nova (1962) Jazz Waltz (1962) Mavis Meets Shorty (with Mavis Rivers, 1962) Gospel Mission (1963) Yesterday, Today and Forever (and Bud Shank, 1963) California Concert (with Bud Shank, 1985)
With Stan Kenton	Innovations in Modern Music (1950) Stan Kenton Presents (1950) Popular Favorites by Stan Kenton (1950–53) The Kenton Era (1950–51) The Innovations Orchestra (1950–51)
With Pete Rugolo	Introducing Pete Rugolo (1954) Adventures in Rhythm (1954) Rugolomania (1954–55) New Sounds by Pete Rugolo (1954–55)
Sideman with others	Collaboration West (Teddy Charles, 1952–53) Evolution (Teddy Charles,1953–55) Jimmy Giuffre (Jimmy Giuffre, 1954–55) The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet (Jimmy Giuffre, 1956)
Soundtracks	The Man with the Golden Arm (with Elmer Bernstein, 1955) Shorty Rogers Meets Tarzan (from Tarzan, the Ape Man, 1959) Baby the Rain Must Fall (film released 1965) Stagecoach (collaboration with Jerry Goldsmith, film released 1966) Heart Beat (1979)
Arranger	Christmas Album (Herb Alpert, released 1968) Chet Baker & Strings (1953–54) You're the Reason I'm Living (for Bobby Darin, 1962–63) Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile (for Bobby Darin, released 1966) Ode to Billie Joe (for Bobbie Gentry, released 1967) Local Gentry (for Bobbie Gentry, released 1968) The Delta Sweete (for Bobbie Gentry, released 1968) Reza (for Terry Gibbs, 1966) Lena Like Latin (for Lena Horne, 1963) In Love Again! (for Peggy Lee, 1963) Pass Me By (for Peggy Lee, 1965) The West Coast Sound (for Shelly Manne, 1953–55) My Son the Jazz Drummer! (for Shelly Manne, 1962) Portrait of Carmen (for Carmen McRae, 1967) The Sound of Silence (for Carmen McRae, 1967–68) The Wichita Train Whistle Sings (for Michael Nesmith, 1968) Big Swing Face, 1967) Buddy & Soul (for Buddy Rich, 1969) A Spoonful of Jazz (for Bud Shank, 1967) Comin' Home Baby! (for Mel Tormé, 1962)
Arranger for The Monkees	The Monkees Present (1966–69) "Daydream Believer"/"Goin' Down" (released 1967) "D. W. Washburn" (released 1968) The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (1967–68)