Carmen McRae Goes to Miami and Gets Electric
McRae takes on Beatles songs and Laura Nyro with a rhythm section that doesn't care what decade jazz is supposed to be in.
By 1970, plenty of jazz singers were either ignoring pop music entirely or awkwardly grafting it onto their usual approach. Carmen McRae does neither on Just a Little Lovin' (1970). Producer Arif Mardin brought her to Atlantic's Miami studio and surrounded her with the Dixie Flyers, a rhythm section that knew how to make things breathe and move without losing the groove. The result is a record that sounds genuinely comfortable in its own skin — not a jazz singer reluctantly covering rock songs, but a singer who actually sounds interested in the material.
The repertoire is built mostly from recent pop and soul writing. Three Beatles songs show up, plus 'Breakfast in Bed,' originally written for Dusty Springfield, and a Laura Nyro original. The Sweet Inspirations handle backing vocals on several tracks, which gives the whole thing a warm, soulful undertow. Mardin also gets specific with the arrangements — 'Something' features a cimbalom, which is an odd and genuinely interesting choice, and 'What'cha Gonna Do' uses a Mellotron weaving around the strings. These aren't gimmicks; they actually work.
Not everything sits in the same lane. 'I Love the Life I Live,' a Willie Dixon blues shuffle, gets a straightforward reading, and 'Didn't We' is stripped down to just McRae and guitarist Al Gafa — no rhythm section, no strings, just two people in a room. That one is probably the most quietly impressive track on the album. Just a Little Lovin' isn't McRae at her most technically demanding, but it's a solid, honest record that shows she could move through different sounds without losing herself in the process.
Who's playing
Tommy McClurebass
Charlie Freemanguitar
Pepper Adamsbaritone saxophone
King Curtistenor saxophone
George Dorseyalto saxophone
Joe Newmantrumpet
Garnett Browntrombone
Sammy Creasonpercussion
[unknown]strings
Joseph DeAngelisFrench horn
Wally Kanewoodwind
George Margewoodwind
Tony MirandaFrench horn
Romeo Penquewoodwind
Brooks TillotsonFrench horn
Michael Utleykeyboard
