Customer Reviews

My Kind Of Music

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This album is a bit more restrained than Torme's other Verves, lacking the high-octane interpretive juice of SWINGS SHUBERT ALLEY or the BASIE/ELLINGTON SONGBOOK. But there's a lot to like here if you enjoy sincere, straight-ahead singing; Torme is attentive to the lyric and in fine voice.

Best of all are the song selections: "County Fair" is great to hear in a deluxe studio version, complete with a gloriously schmaltzy "firecracker" finale (compare it to the earlier, stripped-down live version from MEL TORME IN HOLLYWOOD); "Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans," sung with the verse, offers an interesting contrast to Sinatra's SWINGIN' LOVERS reading; and "By Myself" is a worthy pick from Astaire's BANDWAGON (a Torme favorite).

This CD may not end up on your all-time favorites list, but you'll keep coming back to it.

Now, let's hope Verve reissues OLE TORME next. . . .

Mel Torme is timeless, as is the music he sang for us for so many years. This particular CD is very special. He is at his best. (But then I don't know if he ever had a "worst"!) We really enjoy each song on this CD. If you're a Torme admirer, you'll love this one. Take my word for it.

I consider myself somewhat of a Mel Torme expert. I had all of his LP's and now all of his CDs'. I have seen him live 3 times and he was incredible. His best efforts are his numerous collaborations with the great George Shearing and with the Marty Paich dektette. You can't go wrong with almost any of his Concord recordings even though they were done late in his career. He was at his best when he didn't have to shout over an orchestra. The Marty Paich dektette and George Shearing's piano and a bass were perfect accompanists. These London sessions from the 60's have been released in various permutations are not his best. Stick to his live concerts where he really shines.