Customer Reviews

Mel Tormé at the Red Hill/Live at the Maisonette

5 star:		(7)
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If one wants the defintive Mel Torme concert album, this is close to it. His "Mel Torme & Friends Recorded Live at Marty's" surpasses this one but it's out of stock. So, buy this gem which is darn close in quality. The 1st album of which I never heard until this release is quite perfect in song selection & performance quality. There are many lesser done gems like Early Autumn, Love Is Just Around The Corner, When The World Was Young, & Mountain Greenery. The last 3 are done by Mel on other concert albums. But, he has that right when the songs aren't done as often. His voice is rich on these 2 albums with less of that velvet fog style of which he hated to be linked. Mel does variety of styles to make this a well rounded package. Since we can't see Torme in concert anymore, this is the best we can do. I must say that LIVE AT MAISONEETTE could have been longer but since it's linked with RED MILL it is well worth buying. I also hope that MEL TORME AND FRIENDS will reissued for other Torme fans & please, Amazon, list it as the title is on the cd cover & label. It's difficult to find with the very abbreviated title, LIVE. Same goes for the label name with your name listing different than the actual cd.

How could I be the first to review this? (I was the 1183rd to review Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me"!) This is Torme's best, in my opinion. I became a disciple of vocal jazz after hearing "Live at the Maisonette", nearly 30 years ago, and the 18-minute Gershwin medley. But on relisten, Mel's cover of "Route 66" is the highlight. He slips "R-A-G-G-M-O-P-P", "Drum Boogie", "Salt Peanuts" and "When the Saints Go Marchin' In" into the Bobby Troup chestnut, and shows the world that he truly is a jazzman. As much as I loved that album, "Red Hill" is even better. His cover of "When the World Was Young" is stunning and evokes but does not copy Marlene Dietrich; and his covers of Cole Porter's "Love For Sale" and "It's DeLovely" are sensational. Mel Torme in his prime had probably the best set of vocal cords of any jazz singer around; and this album captures "The Velvet Fog" in his prime. Highly, highly recommended.

No doubt about it, these are among Tormé's finest live recordings. The Red Hill set is marred by sibilant miking (maybe it was that South Jersey air) but the vitality of this performance shines: don't let this defect stop you from acquiring a phenomenal performance. The Maisonette tracks, featuring a brassy band vs. the intimate trio at Red Hill, is almost as good but doesn't suffer from any recording session defects of note. Compare the two versions of Mountain Greenery: it demonstrates the difference between performance in a jazz mecca/gin mill (Red Hill) and a high class joint for the swells. The Gershwin medley on the Maisonette recording is a tour de force.

First things first-I have the VINYL album of "Live at the Maisonette"-my review is strictly on that portion of this CD.

Simply put, the Fog was at the top of his game in this 9/1974 session in Noo Yawk.

The "Marty's" sessions were good too. Newer than this recording. I do think Mel was hotter this night, though.

I had the good fortune of being at a (Chicago) Ravinia performance years ago. Mel was one of those artists that got the extra kick from the crowd and the microphones took note.

Go Mel Go!

In the '70s when the album "Live at the Maisonette" came out, it was clearly my favorite at the time, and I wore it out. I've been waiting for years for it to be released onto CD. There's nothing like the energy in a live performace, especially when done by musicians who are at the top of their game, and this album does not disappoint. The arrangements are inspiring, and Mel was at his best. If you enjoyed Mel's work, you MUST own this recording.

A gold find. I thought I'd heard all that Torme had put out there. Dig Torme's own arrangement of the Gershwin medley. One of the greatest, most professional, most musical sounding charts I've ever heard. Torme's the greatest!

The CD was sent in a timely fashion, was as advertised and was very enjoyable. Thanks.