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The 20th Century Masters series serves many purposes for all the varying artists with MCA affiliations, and with Mel Tormé, the spryest of jazz vocalists, the case is no different. With few hits to essay, compiler Ryan Null and producer Mike Ragogna instead chose to spotlight Tormé's range of abilities -- vocal acrobat and scatter, standards interpreter, songwriter, and pure musical innovator. Thanks to the consistent quality of Tormé's work, they were able to accomplish this despite focusing on several neglected corners of his MCA catalog, like 1954's Musical Sounds Are the Best Songs (Coral), 1960's Swingin' On the Moon (Verve), and 1961's My Kind of Music (Verve also). "Too Close for Comfort" and "Blue Moon" are twin paragons of a vocal artist excelling in an uptempo setting and in balladry (respectively), while the opener, "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," sees Tormé teaching a master class in what it means to be a singing horn. His original material includes both the standard "The Christmas Song" and the pleasant throwaway "Swingin' On the Moon," and for innovation look no further than the eight-minute "Blues in the Night" with his prime collaborator, Marty Paich. Other budget Mel Tormé compilations may have slightly better material, but none explain Tormé's brilliance in such concise fashion as this.
© John Bush /TiVo
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Duke Ellington, Composer - Mel TORME, MainArtist - Irving Mills, Author
℗ 1953 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Cole Porter, ComposerLyricist - Mel TORME, MainArtist
℗ 1954 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Johnny Mercer, ComposerLyricist - Harold Arlen, ComposerLyricist - Mel TORME, MainArtist
℗ 1958 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist - Buddy Pepper, ComposerLyricist - Inez James, ComposerLyricist - Larry Russell, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1959 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.
Mel TORME, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Karl Suessdorf, ComposerLyricist - Norman Granz, Producer - John M. Blackburn, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mel TORME, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1960 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Richard Rodgers, Composer - Lorenz Hart, Author - Mel TORME, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Russell Garcia, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Norman Granz, Producer - The Marty Paich Orchestra, Orchestra
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Duke Ellington, ComposerLyricist - JOHNNY MANDEL, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Russell, ComposerLyricist - Mel TORME, MainArtist - Joe Mondragon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stu Williamson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Perkins, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jack Sheldon, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Mel Lewis, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - JIMMY ROWLES, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Al Hendrickson, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - FRANK ROSOLINO, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Val Valentin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Russell Garcia, Producer - Joe Maine, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Ed Theodore, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1962 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, ComposerLyricist - Robert Wells, ComposerLyricist - Wally Stott, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1961 Polydor Inc.
Album review
The 20th Century Masters series serves many purposes for all the varying artists with MCA affiliations, and with Mel Tormé, the spryest of jazz vocalists, the case is no different. With few hits to essay, compiler Ryan Null and producer Mike Ragogna instead chose to spotlight Tormé's range of abilities -- vocal acrobat and scatter, standards interpreter, songwriter, and pure musical innovator. Thanks to the consistent quality of Tormé's work, they were able to accomplish this despite focusing on several neglected corners of his MCA catalog, like 1954's Musical Sounds Are the Best Songs (Coral), 1960's Swingin' On the Moon (Verve), and 1961's My Kind of Music (Verve also). "Too Close for Comfort" and "Blue Moon" are twin paragons of a vocal artist excelling in an uptempo setting and in balladry (respectively), while the opener, "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," sees Tormé teaching a master class in what it means to be a singing horn. His original material includes both the standard "The Christmas Song" and the pleasant throwaway "Swingin' On the Moon," and for innovation look no further than the eight-minute "Blues in the Night" with his prime collaborator, Marty Paich. Other budget Mel Tormé compilations may have slightly better material, but none explain Tormé's brilliance in such concise fashion as this.
© John Bush /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:52
- Main artists: Mel Tormé
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Universal Music Enterprises
- Genre: Jazz
© 2005 Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. This Compilation ℗ 2005 Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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