VANESSA RUBIN - I'm Glad There Is You : A Tribute to Carmen McRae (1994) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This Vanessa Rubin release is a tribute to Carmen McRae. Although she cites McRae as a major influence, Rubin actually does not sound much like her and leans as much toward middle-of-the-road music as jazz. Also, not all of these songs are really identified with McRae (most notably "Send in the Clowns" which was largely owned by Sarah Vaughan). The ballad-dominated set does have a reasonable amount of variety, Rubin gets off some fine scatting on "Yardbird Suite" and she introduces an excellent original in "No Strings Attached." A variety of guests (including Grover Washington, Jr., Frank Foster, Antonio Hart, Cecil Bridgewater, Kenny Burrell and Monty Alexander) only appear on one or two songs apiece and do not make that much of an impression. However Vanessa Rubin's attractive voice is strong enough to carry the music and this release is a step forward for her.  by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Yardbird Suite 3:30
Eddie Jefferson / Charlie Parker
2 I'm Glad There Is You 7:00
Jimmy Dorsey / Paul Mertz
3 Midnight Sun 5:33
Sonny Burke / Lionel Hampton / Johnny Mercer
4 Inside a Silent Tear 6:10
Blossom Dearie / A. King
5 No Strings Attached 6:10
Vanessa Rubin
6 Alfie 6:30
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
7 Speak Low 6:50
Ogden Nash / Kurt Weill
8 Easy Living 6:05
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin
9 A Child Is Born 3:43
Thad Jones
10 Send in the Clowns 6:31
Stephen Sondheim
Credits
Monty Alexander - Piano
Cecil Bridgewater - Producer, Trumpet
Kenny Burrell - Guitar
Charles Fambrough - Arranger, Bass
Frank Foster - Sax (Tenor)
Aaron Graves - Piano
Antonio Hart - Sax (Alto)
Yoron Israel - Drums
Carlos McKinney - Piano
Michael Rubin - Percussion
Vanessa Rubin - Arranger, Composer, Producer, Vocals
Grover Washington, Jr. - Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)