Sublime early work from Carmen McRae – a collection of recordings done with backing from pianist Ray Bryant in both small combo and large group settings! The first dozen tracks on the album have Carmen singing in a beautifully fragile mode – with only Ray's piano and a bit of bass and drums to back her up – and it's a real treat to her the McRae vocal approach in such an unfettered format, because even at this earlier age, Carmen had a sense of control, poise, and grace that shines through immediately. Next up are 14 more tunes that also feature Bryant's piano, but over larger backings directed by Jack Pleis – in a way that's more similar to some of McRae's better known recordings from the time, but still quite great – done with a level of sophistication that clearly paved the way for Nancy Wilson and Marlena Shaw in years to come – on a batch of 12 mostly Noel Coward numbers, and 2 other tunes. 26 tracks in all – and titles include "I Can't Escape From You", "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Exactly Like You", "All My Life", "Dream Of Life", "Zigeuner", "A Room With A View", "Never Again", "Invitation", "If Love Were All", "Why Does Love Get In The Way", and "Mad About The Boy". CD