Customer Reviews

Evening With George Shearing & Mel Torme

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD is so excellent it almost defies description. It is one of the most satisfying musical experiences I've had. In addition to the astounding rapport between Torme and Shearing, the bass playing of Brian Torfft is the best I've heard - and I've played bass on and off for 40 years. Essential to any collection

Two performances in this CD are worth for it all ... but all is high standard here. Listen specially to Tormé's throwing his voice against piano and bass "contrapunto" on "Love"; and to the rendition of "Born to Be Blue". Very good.

Just the two gems "A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square" and "It Might As Well Be Spring" make this remarkable evening of Torme' and Shearing worth listing to! It's a fine jazz performance and Brian Torff (on bass) does an excellent job keeping up with these two jazz legends. Mel Torme' and George Shearing are tops.

I bought this album 20 years ago after hearing "Good Morning Heartache" on the radio. It was my favorite album for years. I stopped playing it when the scratches were too much to bear, and I got a CD player. I have listened to lots of Mel in the meantime. I love his work, but rarely has any music touched me emotionally the way this album has.
Just now I brought the album out to listen to on my old turntable. I got a phone call towards the end of "Good Morning Heartache", and asked the caller to wait a minute. The caller said she loved the song, and was going to buy the album based on 30 seconds of listening. I think you'll feel the same.

They were both at the top of their form, and the intro to "After The Waltz Is Over" is worth the price of admission all by itself!

This has been my favourite musical album since the day I first played it. Although I don't favour the instrumental tracks featuring bass player Brian Torff, every single track with George and Mel is a classic. I have listened to this CD literally thousands of times and never tire of it. The arrangements (done, I believe, by Torme and Shearing) are superb and Mel's work on "Berkeley Square" is as good as you will ever hear by any singer. This album is truly a joy to listen to. If you haven't heard it you are in for a treat as the piano playing, the singing and the choice of songs is simply brilliant. You can understand why Mel Torme won the Grammy for best jazz performance by a male the year this album was released, but Shearing should have received a Grammy as well.

10 tracks from these two legends:

1. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
2. Born To Be Blue
3. Give Me The Simple Life
4. Good Morning Heartache
5. Manhattan Hoedown
6. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
7. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
8. Love
9. It Might As Well Be Spring
10. Lullaby Of Birdland

...Such a fine piece of music. Mel, George and the producers are simply the best right here and now. I have played Bass since early 1950. This fellow . . . Brian Torff on the Bass, simply makes me happy. That's the way I might have played if I simply had the tallent that Torff has. You need a gift from God in order to play like Torff does.
Thanks for still being alive!

This is a fabulous CD. I had the cassette over 20 years ago, listened to it over and over, and somehow lost it. Now I feel like I've found an old friend! They just don't make 'em like Mel Torme and George Shearing anymore!