Mel Tormé - That's All

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:28
Size: 158,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:52) 1. I've Got You Under My Skin
(3:49) 2. That's All
(3:11) 3. What Is There To Say?
(2:49) 4. Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?
(3:34) 5. The Folks Who Live On the Hill
(3:07) 6. Isn't It A Pity?
(2:54) 7. Ho-Ba-La-La
(2:46) 8. P.S. I Love You
(2:50) 9. The Nearness Of You
(2:46) 10. My Romance
(2:51) 11. The Second Time Around
(2:23) 12. Haven't We Met?
(2:32) 13. I Know Your Heart
(2:20) 14. You'd Better Love Me
(2:55) 15. I See It Now
(2:21) 16. Once In A Lifetime
(2:54) 17. Hang On To Me
(2:48) 18. Seventeen
(2:49) 19. I Remember Suzanne
(2:27) 20. Only The Very Young
(2:50) 21. Paris Smiles
(2:41) 22. Ev'ry Day's A Holiday
(2:35) 23. One Little Snowflake
(3:10) 24. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)

Mel Tormé's 1965 album That's All features beautiful vocals throughout the set, but there are a few problems. The arrangements (mostly by Robert Mersey) are essentially unimaginative middle-of-the-road pop with an orchestra and occasional strings and background singers greatly weighing down the proceedings. The album's selections (all ballads) are mostly taken at slow tempos and are clearly geared for radio airplay, clocking in around the three-minute mark, which means that Tormé's improvising is held to a minimum. So if the melody wasn't strong, the singer was not given a chance to improve it, and if the tune was excellent, Tormé's straight forward version added nothing to the song's legacy. At best, this recording makes for a mildly pleasant listen.~Scott Yanowhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/thats-all-mw0000311828

That's All

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Mel Tormé And Friends - Mel Torme and Friends: Recorded Live at Marty's, New York City

Styles: Vocal, Piano, Swing
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:59
Size: 181,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:51) 1. Let's Take a Walk Around the Block
(5:06) 2. New York State of Mind
(4:28) 3. When the World Was Young
(4:27) 4. Pick Yourself Up
(4:24) 5. Silly Habits
(3:46) 6. Mountain Greenery
(4:03) 7. Cottage for Sale
(2:29) 8. Take a Letter Miss Jones
(5:53) 9. Real Thing
(3:15) 10. Medley: Watch What Happens / Fly Me to the Moon / You And The Night And The Music / Shaking the Blues Away
(3:25) 11. Isn't It Romantic
(8:15) 12. "Porgy & Bess" Medley
(3:37) 13. The Folks Who Live on the Hill
(4:26) 14. The Best Is yet to Come
(3:54) 15. Isn't It a Pity
(4:36) 16. Wave
(5:02) 17. I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan
(4:54) 18. Love for Sale

Recorded live at the nightclub Marty's in New York City, Mel Tormé and Friends was originally released as a double LP in 1981. It's a welcome reissue, presenting prime later Tormé who was, as usual, performing a nightclub show with a trio backup largely devoted to standards like Rodgers and Hart's "Mountain Greenery," Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields' "Pick Yourself Up," Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" and a medley of songs from the Gershwins and DuBose Heyward's Porgy and Bess. What is unusual is the "and Friends" part, as Tormé is joined by such complementary guests as Cy Coleman (who plays piano on his and Carolyn Leigh's "The Best Is Yet to Come"), Gerry Mulligan (who performs on his and Tormé's composition "Real Thing," but whose solo medley has been cut), Jonathan Schwartz (who sings Lorenz Hart's original lyric for the song that became "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan") and one surprising but appropriate one: Janis Ian (who duets with Tormé on her own "Silly Habits").~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-martys-mw0000875927

The Friends Are: Cy Coleman/Janis Ian/Gerry Mulligan/Jonathan Schwartz

Personnel: Bass – Jay Leonhart, Rufus Reid; Drums – Donny Osborn; Piano – Mel Tormé, Mike Renzi

Mel Tormé And Friends

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Mel Tormé, Rob McConnell And The Boss Brass - Mel Tormé, Rob McConnell And The Boss Brass

Styles: Vocal, Big Band
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:34
Size: 100,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:47) 1. Just Friends
( 4:57) 2. September Song
( 4:28) 3. Don'cha Go 'Way Mad
( 3:38) 4. A House Is Not A Home
( 3:46) 5. The Song Is You
( 4:03) 6. Cow Cow Boogie
( 5:36) 7. A Handful Of Stars/Stars Fell On Alabama
(12:15) 8. Duke Ellington Medley

This was a very logical matchup that came out as well on record as it looked on paper. Valve trombonist/arranger Rob McConnell has long led one of the top mainstream jazz big bands, while Mel Tormé blossomed into one of the truly great jazz singers in the 1980s. McConnell's charts suited Tormé perfectly, and the result is this consistently enjoyable and swinging album. The singer is quite enthusiastic and in top form on "Just Friends," a touching "September Song," "Don't 'Cha Go 'Way Mad," "A House Is Not a Home," "The Song Is You," a whimsical "Cow Cow Boogie," a "Stars" medley, and an exciting six-song Duke Ellington medley. Highly recommended.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/mel-torm%C3%A9-rob-mcconnell-and-the-boss-brass-mw0000188380

Personnel: Mel Tormé - vocals

The Boss Brass: Arnie Chycoski - trumpet, flugelhorn; Erich Traugott, John MacLeod, Ian McDougall - trombone; Dave McMurdo, Bob Livingston, Ron Hughes - bass trombone; James MacDonald - french horn; Eugene Amaro - flute, tenor saxophone; Moe Koffman - clarinet, flute, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Bob Leonard - flute, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone; Rick Wilkins - clarinet, tenor saxophone; Dave Woods - trumpet, violin, flugelhorn; Robert Leonard - flute, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone; George Stimpson, Jerry Toth - flute, alto clarinet; Jimmy Dale - piano, electric piano; Guido Basso - harmonica, trumpet, flugelhorn; Ed Bickert - guitar; Jerry Fuller - drums; Brian Leonard - percussion; Steve Wallace - double bass; Rob McConnell - arranger, conductor, trombone.

Mel Tormé, Rob McConnell And The Boss Brass

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Mel Tormé - Mel Tormé In Hollywood

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:59
Size: 135.0 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[ 4:31] 1. From This Moment On
[ 6:37] 2. That Old Black Magic
[10:42] 3. My Shining Hour
[ 3:04] 4. The Christmas Song
[ 3:26] 5. A Stranger In Town
[ 2:08] 6. I Wish I Were In Love Again
[ 2:26] 7. Moonlight In Vermont
[ 3:05] 8. Bernie's Tune
[ 5:40] 9. Love Is Here To Stay
[ 2:35] 10. Blue Moon
[ 2:47] 11. Have You Met Miss Jones
[ 3:00] 12. Jeepers Creepers
[ 2:25] 13. Mountain Greenery
[ 3:21] 14. Imagination
[ 3:02] 15. Get Happy

This is an intriguing CD containing 20 performances (seven previously unissued) from one night in the life of Mel Tormé. Recorded live at the Crescendo in Hollywood, Tormé not only sings, but also plays piano with a quartet comprised of clarinetist/pianist Al Pellegrini, bassist James Dupre and drummer Richard Shanahan. Although not quite as strong a jazz singer as he would become, Tormé is consistently swinging on a well-rounded set highlighted by "That Old Black Magic," "My Shining Hour," "The Christmas Song," "Moonlight in Vermont," "Bernie's Tune," "Mountain Greenery" and "Get Happy." ~Scott Yanow

Mel Tormé In Hollywood

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Sammy Davis Jr.- A Man Called Adam

Styles: Soundtracks, Jazz 
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:56
Size: 105,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Main Title - All That Jazz
(3:22)  2. I Want To Be Wanted (Song)
(2:06)  3. Go Now
(3:09)  4. Someday Sweetheart (Song)
(3:17)  5. Ain't I
(3:55)  6. Soft Touch
(2:57)  7. Claudia
(3:06)  8. All That Jazz (Song)
(5:09)  9. Back Of Town Blues (Song)
(3:57) 10. Night Walk
(3:16) 11. Whisper To One (Song)
(3:55) 12. Claudia
(2:54) 13. Crack Up (Playboy Theme)
(1:46) 14. All That Jazz (Song)

FSM revives the "Retrograde Records" label for its first new release since 1998: A Man Called Adam, a classic jazz album as well as movie soundtrack. A Man Called Adam (1966) was an independent production starring Sammy Davis Jr. as a troubled jazz trumpet player, costarring Cicely Tyson, Ossie Davis and ratpacker Peter Lawford. Louis Armstrong and Mel Torme appear in the film and on the soundtrack album as does the famously versatile Davis. Adam was notable for its prominence of African Americans both in front of and behind the camera (it was produced by Ike Jones, an associate of Nat "King" Cole). The film's composer was Benny Carter (1907-2003), who may be little-known to soundtrack collectors, but was a hugely respected jazz artist as well as a pioneering figure for African Americans in fact, the first black composer to receive screen credit for an original score for television (on M Squad). Carter worked on numerous classic musicals of the 1940s and '50s and became, on A Man Called Adam, one of only a small number of African Americans to score a motion picture.

The musical requirements of A Man Called Adam called almost entirely for jazz source music, particularly that for the lead character's band (the reason we are issuing it on our Retrograde label). Carter composed and arranged a variety of small band numbers, taking care to achieve not only musical excellence but story appropriateness in reflecting the on-screen performers. ("Night Walk," track 10, is the only score cue on the CD.) The studio musicians include Nat Adderley (who "ghosted" Davis's trumpet performances), Bill Berry, Kai Winding, Tyree Glenn, Junior Mance, Billy Kyle, Buster Bailey, Danny Barcelona and Jo Jones. Original lyrics are by Al Stillman. Unavailable since the Reprise Records LP in 1966, A Man Called Adam is a jazz classic soundtrack with historical significance, and has been remixed here from the three and four-track master tapes for excellent stereo sound. Liner notes are by Jon Burlingame, documenting the film, Carter's importance, and the various selections. https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/382/Man-Called-Adam-A/

A Man Called Adam

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Mel Tormé, Cleo Laine - Nothing Without You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:22
Size: 128,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. I'm Nothing Without You (You're Nothing Without Me)
(3:47)  2. I Thought About You
(5:05)  3. Where Or When
(3:07)  4. I Wish I Were In Love Again
(5:05)  5. Girl Talk
(4:40)  6. After You've Gone
(4:15)  7. Brazil / Baia
(2:49)  8. Birdsong
(4:01)  9. Isn't It A Pity
(3:30) 10. Love You Madly
(4:30) 11. Angel Eyes
(4:48) 12. Two Tune Medley
(3:42) 13. I Don't Think I'll Fall In Love Today
(2:55) 14. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

Mel Tormé is in typically fine form on this Concord set; the problem is his musical partner Cleo Laine. Although often classified as a jazz singer, Laine, who has a tremendous range and a lovely voice, seems incapable of improvising. Backed by a 12-piece group led by Laine's husband John Dankworth, the duo perform a variety of mostly superior standards, but nothing unexpected happens except for a somewhat disastrous "Two Tune Medley." On the latter, Tormé and Laine sing 20 songs, generally two at a time, in less than five minutes; it is quite annoying. Otherwise, Tormé, who seems to have enjoyed the date, is weighed down and restricted by Cleo Laine's nonswinging style. Skip this one. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/nothing-without-you-mw0000613826

Personnel: Mel Tormé - vocals;  Cleo Laine - vocals;  John Colianni - piano; Larry Koonse - guitar; Guy Barker - flugelhorn, trumpet; John Dankworth - clarinet, conductor, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Ray Loeckle - bass clarinet, flute, tenor saxophone; Ray Swinfield - clarinet, alto saxophone;  Jamie Talbot - clarinet, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone; Chris Hammer Smith - trombone; John Leitham - bass; Donny Osborne - drums

Nothing Without You

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Mel Torme & The Marty Paich Dek-Tette - In Concert Tokyo

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop 
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:09
Size: 121,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(3:56)  2. Sweet Georgia Brown
(3:12)  3. Just In Time
(4:11)  4. When The Sun Comes Out
(3:23)  5. The Carioca
(4:41)  6. More Than You Know
(4:16)  7. Too Close For Comfort
(3:38)  8. The City
(5:35)  9. Bossa Nova Potpourri
(3:02) 10. On The Street Where You Live
(6:58) 11. Cotton Tail
(3:42) 12. The Christmas Song
(0:59) 13. It Don't Mean A Thing (reprise)

Mel Tormé and arranger Marty Paich (leading his ten-piece "Dek-tette") recorded several classic albums in the late '50s. On Reunion earlier in 1988 they had an enjoyable collaboration and this live set was a follow-up. In general these in-concert performances are livelier with Tormé sounding quite exuberant at times. Highlights include "Just in Time," "When the Sun Comes Out," "The Carioca," "The Christmas Song" and an instrumental version of "Cotton Tail" featuring clarinetist Ken Peplowski and Tormé on drums. A joyful outing. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-concert-tokyo-mw0000076461

Personnel:  Mel Tormé - vocals, drums;  Warren Luening - trumpet;  Dan Barrett - trombone;  Chuck Berghofer - double bass;  Bob Efford - baritone saxophone;  Bob Enevoldsen - valve trombone;  Allen Farnham - piano;  Gary Foster - alto saxophone;  Marty Paich - arranger, conductor;  Ken Peplowski - clarinet, tenor saxophone;  Jim Self - tuba;  John Von Ohlen - drums

In Concert Tokyo

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Mel Torme - Mel Torme Sings Fred Astaire (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:52
Size: 79.8 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Nice Work If You Can Get It
[3:55] 2. Something's Gotta Give
[2:34] 3. A Foggy Day
[3:00] 4. A Fine Romance
[3:25] 5. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
[3:08] 6. Top Hat, White Tie And Tales
[2:21] 7. The Way You Look Tonight
[2:33] 8. The Piccolino
[2:59] 9. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[2:57] 10. Cheek To Cheek
[2:19] 11. Let's Face The Music And Dance
[2:29] 12. They All Laughed

Though it's sometimes relegated to second or third place among Tormé's best albums of the '50s (behind Mel Tormé and the Marty Paich Dek-Tette and It's a Blue World), it's difficult to hear how Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire can't be the best album of his entire career. Featuring an artist at the peak of his ability and talent, a collection of top-drawer songs from the best pop composers ever, and a swinging ten-piece that forms the perfect accompaniment, Sings Fred Astaire is one of the best up-tempo vocal albums ever recorded. Coming hot on the heels of Mel Tormé and the Marty Paich Dek-Tette in 1956, this tribute to Hollywood's most stylish dancer finds Tormé obliging with his nimblest and most elegant singing. Even while Marty Paich's band takes "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Cheek to Cheek" at a breakneck pace that Astaire himself would've had trouble with, Tormé floats over the top with death-defying vocal acrobatics. He's breezy and sophisticated on "They Can't Take That Away from Me," ecstatic and effervescent on "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" (matching an exuberant solo by trumpeter Pete Candoli), and even breaks out an affectionate croon for "A Foggy Day." A collection of perfect hard-swinging pop with a few ballads thrown in for good measure makes Sings Fred Astaire a masterpiece of the vocal era. ~John Bush

Mel Torme Sings Fred Astaire (Remastered) mc
Mel Torme Sings Fred Astaire (Remastered) zippy

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Various - The Very Best Of Cole Porter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:26

Size: 152.1 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals, Easy Listening

Year: 2004

Art: Front

[3:46] 1. Ella Fitzgerald - Too Darn Hot

[2:07] 2. Peggy Lee - My Heart Belongs To Daddy

[3:24] 3. Tony Bennett - Begin The Beguine

[3:59] 4. Sarah Vaughan - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

[2:06] 5. Jeri Southern - It's De-Lovely

[2:30] 6. Dean Martin - True Love

[3:50] 7. Shirley Horn - Love For Sale

[3:05] 8. Helen Merrill - Anything Goes

[8:40] 9. Ella Fitzgerald - Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)

[3:27] 10. Eartha Kitt - Let's Misbehave

[2:59] 11. Billie Holiday - Easy To Love

[2:54] 12. Mel Tormé - What Is This Thing Called Love

[2:05] 13. Anita O'day - Just One Of Those Things

[6:18] 14. Dinah Washington - I Get A Kick Out Of You

[4:47] 15. Aaron Neville - In The Still Of The Night

[3:01] 16. Carmen Mcrae - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

[4:58] 17. Fred Astaire - Night And Day

[2:21] 18. Ella Fitzgerald - You Do Something To Me

The Very Best Of Cole Porter

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Various - Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:24
Size: 165.8 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[1:51] 1. Susan Barrett - Manhattan
[2:27] 2. June Christy - You Took Advantage Of Me
[2:32] 3. Vic Damone - I Could Write A Book
[2:37] 4. The Dinning Sisters - Where Or When
[2:49] 5. Nancy Wilson - Little Girl Blue
[3:09] 6. Mel Tormé - Blue Moon
[3:04] 7. Margaret Whiting - Lover
[2:18] 8. Sarah Vaughan - Have You Met Miss Jones
[3:30] 9. Gordon MacRae - My Funny Valentine
[2:38] 10. The Andrews Sisters - My Romance
[2:41] 11. Peggy Lee - My Heart Stood Still
[2:28] 12. Nat King Cole - This Can't Be Love
[4:56] 13. June Christy - Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
[2:42] 14. Margaret Whiting - Thou Swell
[3:15] 15. Dean Martin - It's Easy To Remember
[2:49] 16. Nancy Wilson - It Never Entered My Mind
[2:34] 17. Dolores Gray - Isn't It Romantic
[2:08] 18. Vic Damone - The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
[4:10] 19. Sarah Vaughan - Glad To Be Unhappy
[2:31] 20. Peggy Lee - The Lady Is A Tramp
[3:43] 21. The Four Freshmen - Spring Is Here
[2:58] 22. Dinah Shore - Falling In Love With Love
[2:26] 23. Jane Froman - With A Song In My Heart
[5:57] 24. Les Brown & His Band Of Renown - Slaughter On Tenth Avenue

The songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart ended with Hart's death on November 22, 1943. The earliest track on this album of Rodgers & Hart songs from the Capitol Records vaults, the Dinning Sisters' version of the 1937 copyright "Where or When" (from the Broadway musical Babes in Arms), was recorded less than a month later, on December 17, 1943, and the latest one, Nancy Wilson's reading of "It Never Entered My Mind" (from the 1940 show Higher and Higher), on November 3, 1967. So, the collection consists of recordings made in the quarter-century after the Rodgers & Hart era. That's appropriate, since Capitol was co-founded by singer/songwriter Johnny Mercer to showcase the rise of individual pop singers in the waning days of the big-band period, and they often sang old show tunes with new, post-swing arrangements like those here, written by the likes of Billy May and Nelson Riddle. The leader in this sort of thing, of course, was Frank Sinatra, who was a Capitol artist. But he must have had a contractual right of refusal to have his recordings used on compilations like this, since he appears only as the conductor of Peggy Lee's version of "My Heart Stood Still." Most of the rest of Capitol's roster of singers is included, however, such as June Christy, Margaret Whiting, Nat King Cole, and Dean Martin. Only four of the tracks date from the 1940s, so this is really the music of the ‘50s and early ‘60s primarily, with the swing charts varied occasionally by a Latin treatment (Lee's "The Lady Is a Tramp") or a bongos-and-flute accompaniment (Dinah Shore's "Falling in Love with Love"). Variety is also provided by vocal groups like the Andrews Sisters and the Four Freshmen. Most of these performers are not jazz singers, but Mel Tormé gets to apply his pipes to "Blue Moon," and Sarah Vaughan goes all-out on an individual treatment of "Have You Met Miss Jones?" (or "old Jones," as she alters it), scatting like crazy. Richard Rodgers was notoriously hostile to liberal rearrangements of his songs, but he and Hart were done many favors by the Capitol singers who helped keep their copyrights alive and flourishing decades after the tunes were written. ~William Ruhlmann

Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hart

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Mel Torme - The Classic Years

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:28
Size: 172.8 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. You’re Driving Me Crazy
[2:57] 2. What Is This Thing Called Love
[2:53] 3. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
[3:04] 4. Try A Little Tenderness
[2:58] 5. A Stranger In Town
[2:46] 6. The Old Master Painter
[3:11] 7. Get Out Of Town
[2:58] 8. Little White Lies
[2:53] 9. A Little Kiss Each Morning
[2:49] 10. It Happened In Monterey
[2:58] 11. It’s Dreamtime
[2:57] 12. I Got The Sun In The Morning
[4:25] 13. I Cover The Waterfront
[3:04] 14. Guilty
[2:55] 15. Gone With The Wind
[2:41] 16. Night And Day
[3:02] 17. The Four Winds And The Seven Seas
[2:52] 18. A Foggy Day
[3:12] 19. Careless Hands
[2:42] 20. But Beautiful
[2:37] 21. Born To Be Blue
[2:48] 22. The Best Things In Life Are Free
[3:10] 23. Ballerina
[3:07] 24. Again
[3:07] 25. Blue Moon

Melvin Howard Torme was born on the 13th of September 1925 in Chicago. From a very young age it soon became apparent he had a musical talent and at age 4 he first sang professionally and throughout his childhood he began acting in the network radio serials. As well as his vocal talent he became an accomplished drummer and he sang, arranged, and played drums in the Chico Marx Band (of Marx Brothers fame) After graduating from High School he made his film debut alongside Frank Sinatra's in the musical 'Higher and Higher'. He went on to sing and act in many films and made several television appearances, even hosting his own television show in the early 1950's. However it was his appearance in the 1947 film musical 'Good News' that catapulted him to a teen idol status. After performing with his own vocal quintet "Mel Torme And Mel-Tones" he went onto have an extremely successful solo career with many hit songs such as "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Careless Hands", "Again" and his signature tune "Blue Moon". It was during this time that he was nicknamed the "the Velvet Fog" in honour his enormous vocal range and his silky smooth style. This nickname became synonymous with him and aptly described his vocal beauty, flawless pitch and ability to improvise and scat through any melody. Like his idol, Ella Fitzgerald, Torme establishes himself as not only a popular singer but a leading figure in the Jazz genre. This collection of Mel Torme's work documents his "Classic Years", his hits and his superb songwriting skills. Torme is probably best described by the great jazz journalist and historian Leonard Feather, who said - "Mel Torme is an inventive and gifted artist, a writer of first class music and a lyric who is greatly admired by many singers and songwriters the world over."

The Classic Years

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Mel Tormé - Swingin' On The Moon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:48
Size: 86.5 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1960/1998
Art: Front

[3:28] 1. Swingin On The Moon
[3:05] 2. Moonlight Cocktail
[3:52] 3. I Wished On The Moon
[3:12] 4. Moon Song
[3:14] 5. How High The Moon
[2:39] 6. Don't Let That Moon Get Away
[3:41] 7. Blue Moon
[2:56] 8. Velvet Moon
[2:32] 9. No Moon At All
[3:01] 10. Moonlight In Vermont
[3:16] 11. Oh You Crazy Moon
[2:45] 12. The Moon Was Yellow

Tormé displays a grasp of a certain agreeable absurdity in this 1962 release's concept--songs with the word moon in their titles or settings--when, at the end of the album's self-penned namesake cut, he begins babbling references to the rest of the tunes in a prophecy of Bill Murray's lounge-singer character. Fortunately, this reissue has more to recommend it than an amusing datedness--not least Tormé's own aplomb and a small big band that includes players like altoist Bud Shank and drummer Mel Lewis. ~Rickey Wright

Swingin' On The Moon

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Mel Tormé - Uncollected & Rare (1960-1971)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:59
Size: 134,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:18)  1. Wayfaring Stranger
(2:30)  2. Walk Like A Dragon
(1:33)  3. I'm Shooting High
(2:13)  4. These Desperate Hours
(2:44)  5. Her Face
(2:51)  6. Yes, Indeed!
(3:01)  7. Walkin' Shoes
(2:25)  8. You Belong To Me
(2:20)  9. Cast Your Fate To The Winds
(1:50) 10. Gravy Waltz
(2:37) 11. My Gal's Back In Town
(2:21) 12. The Gift
(2:27) 13. You Can't Love 'em All
(4:52) 14. All That Jazz
(2:01) 15. Didn't We
(2:23) 16. Five-Four
(2:46) 17. I Cried For You
(2:59) 18. Morning Star
(3:15) 19. Phone Call To The Past
(3:21) 20. Whose Garden Is This

Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, best known as a singer of jazz standards. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") and co-wrote the lyrics with Bob Wells. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Torm%C3%A9

Thank You Scoredaddy!!

Uncollected & Rare (1960-1971)

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Glenn Miller Orchestra - In The Digital Mood

Styles: Jazz, Swing, Big Band
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:25
Size: 79,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:39)  1. In The Mood
(3:41)  2. Chattanooga Choo-Choo
(3:25)  3. The American Patrol
(3:16)  4. A String Of Pearls
(3:08)  5. Little Brown Jug
(2:42)  6. Kalamazoo
(3:39)  7. Tuxedo Junction
(4:19)  8. St. Louis Blues March
(3:13)  9. Pennsylvania 6-5000
(3:18) 10. Moonlight Serenade

This CD may be scoffed at by serious jazz listeners, and even by big-band devotees wary of modern "ghost band" performances, but the fact is that it sold over 100,000 pieces when it first appeared in 1983, and its CD version was among the very earliest compact discs ever released commercially in the United States (indeed, so early that the actual CDs had to be imported from Japan). The second-ever release by GRP Records, it put the label on the map, and it also stood as testimony to how good those original arrangements of the Glenn Miller Orchestra were. So how is it as music? At worst entertaining, and at best revealing, and also at times a little frustrating on the plus side, even heard in 2007, twenty-four years after the fact, the sound here is damned impressive; you can safely rank this release as one of the very earliest, if not the very first audiophile CDs to be released. The fact that it features 18 top-flight musicians under the baton of Larry O'Brien, then the leader of the touring Glenn Miller Orchestra, only makes it more impressive. What's more, with the quality of the playing, one will be able to make out minuscule elements of the original arrangements that were long obscured on the classic late-'30s/early-'40s Glenn Miller sides. Musicians with an appreciation of these arrangements will probably love this recording, and casual fans should embrace it heartily: these boys swing in 1983 about as well as their predecessors from 41 years earlier did. And the vocal numbers are no exception -- in contrast to Columbia Records' mid-'60s efforts to revive the Miller orchestra as a recording unit (which failed not just because of the timing of the project but also the uneven quality of the resulting albums), numbers like "Pennsylvania 6-5000" and "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo" are as hot here as there were four decades before. And the singers include Mel Tormé and Julius LaRosa (doing a solo) in their ranks. Still, it's the instrumentals that make up the bulk of this album, and on that level it's similarly unimpeachable, at least most of the way through "Tuxedo Junction" (which includes Dave Grusin sitting in on piano) is so close to the original that it's easy to forget who you're listening to and when they put this track down; and serious listeners should probably hold out for the "Gold Disc" edition or the Japanese version of this CD, which contain a bonus track, "At Last," featuring a trombone solo by Urbie Green that is worth the price of the CD by itself. Now, all of that said, there are a couple of quibbles: the absence of the cowbell on "In the Mood," and the "clever" notion on "Pennsylvania 6-5000" of ending the number with well, you can guess. This is still one cool, swinging release and, with its virtuoso musicianship, offers many of the same appealing qualities as the original Miller recordings. ~ Bruce Eder http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-digital-mood-mw0000188430

Personnel: Marlene VerPlanck, Michael Mark, Julius La Rosa, Mel Tormé, Marty Nelson (vocals); Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Walter Levinsky (clarinet, saxophone); Morty Lewis, Phil Bodner, Sol Schlinger, Billy Slapin (saxophone); Irvin "Marky" Markowitz, Marvin Stamm, Jimmy Maxwell, John Frosk (trumpet); Sonny Russo, George Masso, Urbie Green, Wayne Andre, Paul Faulise (trombone); Dave Grusin, Bernie Leighton (piano); Ronald Zito (drums).

In The Digital Mood

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Mel Torme - Mel Torme At The Red Hill (Remastered)

Size: 103,6 MB
Time: 39:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1962/2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Shakin' The Blues Away (2:10)
02. I'm Beginning To See The Light (2:30)
03. In Other Words (4:16)
04. Medley A Foggy Day, A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square (3:31)
05. Love For Sale (2:51)
06. It's Delovely (4:34)
07. Mountain Greenery (2:53)
08. Nevertheless (3:24)
09. Early Autumn (3:09)
10. Anything Goes (3:22)
11. (Ah, The Apple Trees) When The World Was Young (3:44)
12. Love Is Just Around The Corner (3:18)

Mel Tormé's first recording for Atlantic is his best, a devastating swing set recorded at the Red Hill in Pennsauken, New Jersey. It's clear from just a few bars that the ever-ebullient scatter/singer is in his element here, swinging live at an intimate jazz club before a knowing audience; he treats onlookers to glorious versions of his live standards "Mountain Greenery" and "It's Delovely," extending the latter by several verses with updated, modern lyrics. Always conscious of featuring his musicians too, Tormé allows room for solos from pianist Jimmy Wisner, and even grabs the piano himself for three songs (including both of the above). One caveat: taking nothing away from the original performance, his dynamic vocal range occasionally results in light distortion. ~ by John Bush

Mel Torme At The Red Hill

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Artie Shaw - What Is This Thing Called Love

Styles: Clarinet Jazz 
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:06
Size: 174,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. Let's Walk
(3:07)  2. Love Of My Life
(2:54)  3. How Deep Is The Ocean?
(2:48)  4. The Glider
(3:03)  5. The Hornet
(3:09)  6. They Can't Convince Me
(2:59)  7. I Got The Sun In The Morning
(3:07)  8. Along With Me
(2:50)  9. You Do Something To Me
(2:48) 10. In The Still Of The Night
(3:14) 11. Begin The Beguine
(3:05) 12. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(2:48) 13. Night And Day
(3:01) 14. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(2:39) 15. I've Got You Under My Skin
(3:15) 16. Get Out Of Town
(3:04) 17. For You, For Me, For Evermore
(2:40) 18. Changing My Tune
(3:06) 19. Love For Sale
(3:08) 20. They Can't Convince Me
(3:07) 21. Guilty
(2:35) 22. And So To Bed
(2:36) 23. Don't You Believe It Dear
(3:02) 24. It's The Same Old Dream
(2:47) 25. I Believe

This collection of Artie Shaw big band recordings comes from his brief association with the Musicraft label. Having assembled and broken up several earlier units, this edition, heard in recordings made between 1945 and 1946, is more of an arranger's band than one that features many soloists, other than the leader. During this period of Shaw's career, he was constantly changing the instrumentation of his band and making personnel substitutions. Fellow Musicraft artist Mel Tormé and his group the Mel-Tones are added on some tracks, though this was a studio relationship exclusively and they were not a part of Shaw's organization. The innovative blend of strings, voices and brass in the swinging arrangement of "What Is This Thing Called Love" is the highlight of the vocal selections, along with an updated instrumental version of the clarinetist's earlier hit, "Begin the Beguine." The only reservation about this compilation is that several tracks are abruptly faded or even truncated. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/what-is-this-thing-called-love-mw0000239933

Personnel: Artie Shaw (clarinet); Halsey Stevens, Teddy Walters, Kitty Kallen, Mel Tormé, The Mel-Tones (vocals); Dave Barbour, Barney Kessel (guitar); Nick Fatool (clarinet, drums); Rudy Tanza, Lou Prisby, Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt (alto saxophone); Herbie Steward, Ralph Rosenlund (tenor saxophone); Chuck Gentry (baritone saxophone); Manny Klein, Clyde Hurley, George Schwartz, Ray Linn, Bernie Glow, Stan Fishelson (trumpet); Garth Dickson, Bob Swift, Si Zentner, Harry Rodgers, Ollie Wilson (trombone); Dodo Marmarosa, Johnny Guarnieri, Milt Raskin (piano); Lou Fromm (drums).

What Is This Thing Called Love

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Mel Tormé - 16 Most Requested Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:38
Size: 106.8 MB
Styles: Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[2:47] 1. P.S. I Love You
[2:51] 2. The Second Time Around
[2:23] 3. Haven't We Met
[2:51] 4. The Nearness Of You
[2:48] 5. My Romance
[2:49] 6. Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful
[3:08] 7. Isn't It A Pity
[2:32] 8. I Know Your Heart
[2:54] 9. I've Got You Under My Skin
[3:50] 10. That's All
[3:12] 11. What Is There To Say
[3:35] 12. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
[2:42] 13. Everyday's A Holiday
[2:21] 14. You'd Better Love Me
[2:38] 15. Strangers In The Night
[3:10] 16. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)

16 Most Requested Songs is a midline-priced collection that spotlights Mel Tormé's work during his short stint with Columbia Records, including "P.S. I Love You," "The Second Time Around," "The Nearness of You," "My Romance," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "That's All," "Everyday's a Holiday," "Strangers in the Night," and "The Christmas Song." Although it's far from a perfect retrospective of his career, it's still a nice sampler of familiar items (including material from his elegant ballads collection That's All), and it may satisfy the needs of some casual fans who only want to hear a glimpse of what made Tormé's work special. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

16 Most Requested Songs

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Mel Tormé - Songs For Any Taste (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:21
Size: 60.4 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:28] 1. It's All Right With Me
[3:13] 2. Manhattan
[1:59] 3. Taking A Chance On Love
[1:53] 4. Home By The Sea
[3:13] 5. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
[2:42] 6. It's De-Lovely
[2:20] 7. Tenderly
[2:29] 8. I Wish I Were In Love Again
[1:31] 9. Autumn Leaves
[2:29] 10. Nobody's Heart

Bass – Max Bennett; Drums – Mel Lewis; Leader, Piano – Marty Paich; Trumpet – Don Fagerquist; Vibraphone, Accordion, Bongos – Larry Bunker; Vocals – Mel Tormé.

Mel Tormé recorded a number of lovely albums for Bethlehem during the '50s, including It's a Blue World and Sings Fred Astaire. Consisting of a few studio sides interspersed with material recorded live at the Crescendo in February of 1957, Songs for Any Taste finds Tormé asserting himself with confidence and style. Pianist/leader Marty Paich offers beautifully understated arrangements, featuring trumpeter Don Fagerquist and accordion player Larry Bunker. The set is heavy with lesser-known standards from Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, and the Gershwins. Tormé begins the set with a "French" version of "Autumn Leaves," complete with a fake accent that serves to warm up the audience. "I Wish I Were in Love Again" and "It's Delovely" are two upbeat knockouts, while "Tenderly" proceeds at a more languorous pace. The background singing and formal arrangements of "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" mark it as a studio track, but quality-wise, it fits in well with the other material. The quiet "Nobody's Heart" closes the set, a moody late-night piece with piano accompaniment. This is a beautiful set, with great songs, in-between chatter, and sympathetic backing.

Songs For Any Taste

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Various - Capitol Records From The Vaults: Capitol Goes To The Movies

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:07
Size: 167.4 MB
Styles: Vocal, Stage & Screen, Standards
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Johnny Mercer - On The Atchison, Topeka & The Sante Fe
[3:10] 2. Jo Stafford - It Could Happen To You
[2:54] 3. Johnny Mercer - San Fernando Valle
[2:57] 4. Margaret Whiting - In Love In Vain
[2:38] 5. Paul Weston And His Orchestra - Ole Buttermilk Sky
[2:51] 6. Johnny Mercer - Baby, It's Cold Outside
[2:55] 7. The Dinning Sisters - Buttons And Bows
[3:15] 8. Jo Stafford - Blues In The Night
[2:58] 9. The Pied Pipers - The Trolley Song
[3:03] 10. Johnny Mercer - If I Had A Talking Picture Of You
[2:59] 11. Gordon Macrae - It's Magic
[2:55] 12. Mel Blanc - I Taut I Taw A Puddy Tat
[3:08] 13. Mel Tormé - Again
[2:48] 14. Bob Hope - Home Cookin'
[2:30] 15. Sammy Davis Jr. - Laura
[3:03] 16. Peggy Lee - Where Are You
[3:17] 17. Nat King Cole - Mona Lisa
[2:52] 18. Les Baxter - Ruby
[2:43] 19. Tex Ritter - High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)
[2:59] 20. Jane Froman - I'll Walk Alone
[2:39] 21. Bob Hope - Wing-Ding Tonight
[2:51] 22. Hoagy Carmichael - When Love Goes Wrong
[2:31] 23. Tennessee Ernie Ford - River Of No Return
[3:14] 24. June Hutton - Never In A Million Years
[2:43] 25. Les Baxter - The High And The Mighty

It's a no-brainer that the Capitol From the Vaults series would dedicate a volume to their affluent association with the cinematic side of Hollywood. This is especially true since label co-founder Buddy de Sylva was previously the head of production for Paramount Pictures. As pop music artist and scholar Billy Vera points out in his liner notes essay, the label's first hit -- "Cow Cow Boogie" by Ella Mae Morse -- was featured in the all-star propaganda film Reveille With Beverly (1943). The tradition served Capitol well throughout their first decade and there are over two dozen examples -- which Vera also notes as being nowhere near complete -- on this single CD compilation. Many of these sides not only scored big at the box office, but held their own on the national pop and country & western charts as well. Included are a bevy of Top Ten hits such as "The High and the Mighty" (Les Baxter), "It Could Happen to You" (Jo Stafford), "Buttons and Bows" (Dinning Sisters), and even the animated antics of "I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat" (Mel Blanc). This collection also features a couple of chart-toppers -- "On the Atchison, Topeka & the Santa Fe" (Johnny Mercer) as well as "Mona Lisa," the latter of which was also given an Oscar as "Best Song" in 1950 for its use in Captain Carey U.S.A. As an obvious labor of love, the audio in the Capitol From the Vaults series is unsurpassed -- rising to the occasion of such memorable pop music. ~Lindsay Planer

Capitol Records From The Vaults: Capitol Goes To The Movies

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Various - Capitol Records From The Vaults: Love Letters

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:15
Size: 170.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Nat King Cole - (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
[2:58] 2. Margaret Whiting - Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:06] 3. Andy Russell - Besame Mucho
[3:12] 4. Johnny Mercer - Candy
[2:32] 5. The Dinning Sisters - Love Letters
[3:01] 6. Nat King Cole - ou Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)
[2:55] 7. Johnnie Johnston - Laura
[3:10] 8. Margaret Whiting - Guilty
[3:01] 9. Jo Stafford - The Things We Did Last Summer
[2:52] 10. Andy Russell - Amor
[3:02] 11. The Pied Pipers - Mam'selle
[3:01] 12. Nat King Cole - I Miss You So
[2:57] 13. Martha Tilton - That's My Desire
[3:12] 14. Judy Garland - Old Devil Moon
[3:01] 15. Nat King Cole - What'll I Do
[3:08] 16. June Christy - Soothe Me
[2:57] 17. Andy Russell - Laughing On The Outside (Crying On The Inside)
[2:38] 18. Margaret Whiting - A Tree In The Meadow
[3:04] 19. Mel Tormé - You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
[3:11] 20. Al Martino - Here In My Heart
[3:00] 21. Dean Martin - You Belong To Me
[3:04] 22. Bob Manning - The Nearness Of You
[2:45] 23. Helen O'Connell - Be Anything (But Be Mine)
[2:33] 24. Bob Eberly - You Are Too Beautiful
[2:52] 25. Nat King Cole - Somewhere Along The Way

This fourth installment of Capitol Records' label retrospective, Capitol From the Vaults, is hopelessly and head-over-heels devoted to love. The label presents a cornucopia of primarily post-WW II pop tunes that have become standards over time. This collection, subtitled "Love Letters," offers up 25 tracks about love: lost, found, forgotten -- and every other applicable emotion. With amour as a backdrop, this compilation contains hits from practically every pop music genre from the mid-'40 and early '50s. Among those strongly represented on this volume are soundtrack tunes from the stage and screen. These include Mel Tormé's "Your Getting to Be a Habit With Me" which was featured in two Warner Bros. films inspired by the Big Apple -- Lullaby of Broadway and 42nd Street. Another cinematic tribute to the five boroughs is also included with "What'll I Do" by Nat "King" Cole's Trio. This Irving Berlin composition was a Top 40 hit featured in the film The Big City. As with every Capitol From the Vaults installment, the focus of the package is on the songs which made the Hit Parade. 23 of the 25 tracks on Love Letters are in fact chart hits. "Candy" featuring Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting's "A Tree in a Meadow," and the leadoff track, "I Love You (For Sentimental Reasons)" featuring the Nat "King" Cole Trio are all certified Number One hits by Billboard magazine. The sound quality continues to deliver infinitely better quality recordings than what has previously been available -- that is if consumers could find them at all. Producer Billy Vera has once again inked some wonderfully insightful liner notes. This is a cleverly compiled addition to the Capitol From the Vaults series. ~Lindsay Planer

Capitol Records From The Vaults: Love Letters

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