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Carmen McRae

カーメン・マクレエ / かーめん・まくれえ

American pianist

April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994 ・ New York, United States

  • New York
  • pianist
  • actor
  • jazz musician

My Take

Carmen McRae is one of those singers who makes you feel like jazz was invented specifically for her voice — that low, lived-in alto with just a hint of smoke, always landing a half-beat behind the rhythm like she had all the time in the world and knew it. Growing up in Harlem, trading ideas with Thelonious Monk, watching Billie Holiday from the bandstand — she absorbed everything and turned it into something unmistakably her own. What I love most is how she treated a lyric like a short story: sardonic when the words called for it, tender when they didn't, never once sentimental. Albums like "Something to Swing About" and "Lover Man" hold up beautifully decades on. The NEA Jazz Masters nod was well-earned, though honestly it barely scratches the surface of what she gave to American music before her passing in 1994.

Overview

Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretation of lyrics.

1. Profile

Name (English)
Carmen McRae
Name (Japanese)
カーメン・マクレエ
Reading
かーめん・まくれえ
Born
April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
Aries / Monkey
Origin
New York, United States
Blood type
Private
Height
Private
Agency
Private
Occupation
pianist / actor / jazz musician / singer / film actor

2. Background

Elementary school
Private
Junior high
Private
High school
Private
University
Private

Awards & achievements

  • NEA Jazz Masters

3. Relationships

Spouse
Private
Children
Private
Parents
Private
Siblings
Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

7. About this entry

Tags

  • New York
  • pianist
  • actor
  • jazz musician
Last updated
2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.