GEORGE SHEARING | CARMEN McRAE - Two for the Road (1980) APE (image+.cue), lossless

There are far too few recordings of top-notch jazz singers backed solely by equally talented pianists, so this onetime meeting of George Shearing and Carmen McRae proves to be magical. Shearing recorded solo piano sessions a number of times during his long career, though he rarely played unaccompanied for a vocalist, with the exception of his meetings with Mel Tormé. McRae also had a prolific career and is still in great voice interpreting this standard-heavy collection. Shearing's inventive chord substitutions in "Too Late Now" are a treat, with the singer making a delayed entrance. Shearing is rollicking in "Gentleman Friend" (the album's only uptempo track), which also features McRae doing a bit of scatting. The lesser-known "Cloudy Morning" finds the pianist in a bit of an impressionist mood and also sharing the vocals, while McRae's powerful interpretation of "More Than You Know" is another gem. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1     I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You 3'42
Bing Crosby / Ned Washington / Victor Young
2     You're All I Need 3'16
Walter Jurmann / Gus Kahn / Bronislaw Kaper
3     Gentleman Friend 4'11
Arnold B. Horwitt / Richard Lewine
4     More Than You Know 4'35
Edward Eliscu / Billy Rose / Vincent Youmans
5     Cloudy Morning 2'56
Marvin Fisher / Joseph McCarthy
6     Too Late Now 5'04
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner
7     If I Should Lose You 2'18
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin
8     Ghost of Yesterday 4'53
Arthur Herzog, Jr. / Irene Kitchings
9     What Is There to Say? 4'47
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
10     Two for the Road 3'30
Leslie Bricusse / Henry Mancini
Credits :
Piano – George Shearing
Vocals – Carmen McRae