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Mel Tormé's Finest Hour leads off with a Decca recording from 1944 but otherwise concentrates on Tormé's stints with the Coral and Verve labels between 1953-1960. Tormé's tight arrangements and smooth crooning made him a natural crossover artist, but he charted no pop hits during this period. Nonetheless, the recordings compiled here are broadly appealing, particularly on songs such as "What Is This Thing Called Love?" that prominently feature Tormé's jazz-pop vocal group, the Mel-Tones. "At the Crossroads (Malagueña)" vacillates between Bill Haley-style rock-a-boogie rhythms and big-band swing, and "What's New at the Zoo?" -- a duet with Margaret Whiting -- is a silly novelty with a rock & roll guitar solo. "The Hut Sut Song" and Slim Gaillard's "Cement Mixer" are novelties, too, but ones that jazz purists will find less offensive. In between, there are a number of serious jazz vocal performances and sweetly orchestrated romantic ballads of the sort that earned Tormé the nickname of "the Velvet Fog." Tormé's 1954 recording of his holiday standard "The Christmas Song" is also included, making Mel Tormé's Finest Hour an inclusive and diverse sampling of music from a versatile artist and exemplary vocalist.
© Greg Adams /TiVo
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Mel TORME, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - The Mel-Tones, FeaturedArtist
℗ 1945 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Wells, ComposerLyricist - Dick Shanahan, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - James Dupré, Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Al Pellagrini, Clarinet, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1955 UMG Recordings Inc.
Richard Rodgers, Composer - Lorenz Hart, Author - Mel TORME, MainArtist - Gene Norman, Producer
℗ 1955 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - Jack Owens, ComposerLyricist - Ted McMichael, ComposerLyricist - Leo Killion, ComposerLyricist - Ted W. Mcmichael, ComposerLyricist - Ko Killion, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1955 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Lee Ricks, ComposerLyricist - Mel TORME, MainArtist - Slim Gaillard, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1954 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - Billy Rose, ComposerLyricist - Basil G. Adlam, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1959 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - Victor Schertzinger, ComposerLyricist - Norman Granz, Producer
℗ 1958 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Tom Kenny, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - MARTY PAICH, Conductor, Recording Arranger, Celesta, Conductor/Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cole Porter, ComposerLyricist - Mel TORME, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jack Sheldon, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Art Pepper, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Vic Feldman, Vibraphone, AssociatedPerformer - The Meltones, FeaturedArtist - Ginny O'Connor, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Bernie Parke, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sue Allen, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Tom Kenny, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - MARTY PAICH, Conductor, Recording Arranger, Celesta, Conductor/Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Mel TORME, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jack Sheldon, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Billy Rose, ComposerLyricist - Art Pepper, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Mabel Wayne, ComposerLyricist - Vic Feldman, Vibraphone, AssociatedPerformer - Norman Granz, Producer - The Meltones, FeaturedArtist - Ginny O'Connor, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Bernie Parke, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sue Allen, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1959 UMG Recordings, Inc.
MARTY PAICH, Piano, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Red Callender, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Mel TORME, MainArtist - Joe Mondragon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stu Williamson, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Al Porcino, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Perkins, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - GEORGE DAVID WEISS, ComposerLyricist - Jerry Bock, ComposerLyricist - Mel Lewis, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Art Pepper, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Hood, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Russ Garcia, Producer - Norman Granz, Producer - The Marty Paich Orchestra, FeaturedArtist - Val Valentine, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Vince Derosa, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Holofcenter, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
MARTY PAICH, Piano, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Red Callender, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Mel TORME, MainArtist - Joe Mondragon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stu Williamson, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Al Porcino, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Perkins, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Mel Lewis, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Adler , ComposerLyricist - JERRY ROSS, ComposerLyricist - Art Pepper, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Hood, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Russ Garcia, Producer - The Marty Paich Orchestra, FeaturedArtist - Val Valentine, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Vince Derosa, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Norman Newell, Producer - Mel TORME, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Wells, ComposerLyricist - Tony Osborne, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1961 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - Howard Dietz, ComposerLyricist - Arthur Schwartz, ComposerLyricist - Geoff Love, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Geoff Love and His Orchestra, FeaturedArtist
℗ 1961 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - Ernesto Lecuona, Composer, Author - Norman Granz, Producer
℗ 1959 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Cole Porter, ComposerLyricist - Mel TORME, MainArtist - Norman Granz, Producer
℗ 1959 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Duke Ellington, Composer - Mel TORME, MainArtist - Peggy Lee, ComposerLyricist - Norman Granz, Producer
℗ 1961 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - Jon Hendricks, ComposerLyricist - Freddie Green, ComposerLyricist - Dave Lambert, ComposerLyricist - Norman Granz, Producer
℗ 1961 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - Frederick Loewe, ComposerLyricist - Alan Jay Lerner, ComposerLyricist - Russell Garcia, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Norman Granz, Producer
℗ 1961 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Jule Styne, Composer - Mel TORME, MainArtist - Margaret Whiting, MainArtist - Adolph Green, Author - Betty Comden, Author - Russell Garcia, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Norman Granz, Producer
℗ 1961 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - Johnny Burke, ComposerLyricist - James V. Monaco, Composer - Norman Granz, Producer
℗ 1960 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - JOSEF MYROW, ComposerLyricist - Eddie De Lange, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Delange, ComposerLyricist - Norman Granz, Producer
℗ 1960 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Mel Tormé's Finest Hour leads off with a Decca recording from 1944 but otherwise concentrates on Tormé's stints with the Coral and Verve labels between 1953-1960. Tormé's tight arrangements and smooth crooning made him a natural crossover artist, but he charted no pop hits during this period. Nonetheless, the recordings compiled here are broadly appealing, particularly on songs such as "What Is This Thing Called Love?" that prominently feature Tormé's jazz-pop vocal group, the Mel-Tones. "At the Crossroads (Malagueña)" vacillates between Bill Haley-style rock-a-boogie rhythms and big-band swing, and "What's New at the Zoo?" -- a duet with Margaret Whiting -- is a silly novelty with a rock & roll guitar solo. "The Hut Sut Song" and Slim Gaillard's "Cement Mixer" are novelties, too, but ones that jazz purists will find less offensive. In between, there are a number of serious jazz vocal performances and sweetly orchestrated romantic ballads of the sort that earned Tormé the nickname of "the Velvet Fog." Tormé's 1954 recording of his holiday standard "The Christmas Song" is also included, making Mel Tormé's Finest Hour an inclusive and diverse sampling of music from a versatile artist and exemplary vocalist.
© Greg Adams /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 21 track(s)
- Total length: 00:59:28
- Main artists: Mel Tormé
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Verve Reissues
- Genre: Jazz
© 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc. This Compilation ℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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