Song:Weep No More
Album:Tonight Only!
Of course most jazz fans should be familiar with pianist Dave Brubeck's quartet recordings. But you don't want to overlook his albums with some of the great jazz singers of the late 50s. This album with singer Carmen McRae was released in 1961. In 1959, Take Five made Brubeck a household name. So obviously Columbia Records let him do whatever he wanted. And that included the 1962 concept album The Real Ambassadors. Carmen McRae appeared on that album. But a lot of fans may not know that she had already recorded two albums with Brubeck. Carmen recorded for Decca in the 50s. Her contract was running out and Brubeck brought her to Columbia. He thought it would be a good idea to record her first album on Columbia with the Brubeck quartet. Tonight Only! is that album. Weep No More is a song that Brubeck first recorded on his 1956 solo piano album Brubeck Plays Brubeck. As with many of his instrumental compositions, Brubeck's wife Iola Brubeck wrote the lyrics. Sax player Paul Desmond plays on the album but not on Weep No More. The other musicians are Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums. Tonight Only! did well enough that Brubeck and Carmen recorded the album Take Five Live at Basin Street East in New York City in 1961. And of course Carmen also appeared on The Real Ambassadors. Tonight Only! was out of print for years. But in 2011, the Spanish label American Jazz Classics released it on CD with some bonus tracks. This CD is worth checking out especially for Carmen McRae fans who might otherwise overlook it. She's in great voice as always. Here's a video for Weep No More by the Dave Brubeck Quartet featuring Carmen McRae.
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