Search - Mel Torme :: Sings Fred Astaire

Excellent Album

ckenevey | Dublin, Dublin Ireland | 05/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Torme at his best. Paiche and Torme is another one of those musical collaborations that was perfect.(like Sinatra and Riddle) Marty Paich is a genius arranger. The musicianship on this album is hard to beat. This album swings hard, the band really cooks . Check out "The way you look tonight", turn it up a little and dig the solos - it will have you jumping! The bass line will bring a tear to your eye! . "Cheek to cheek" is another hard swinging number. Paiche subtely quotes "jeepers creepers" in the middle of the unusual arrangement..it's great stuff. Torme effortlessly delivers amazing vocals throughout. This album is a must for anyone into jazz, vocals, arranging.. Buy it!"

Casual elegance, imaginative and striking

Kyle R. Miller | Arlington Heights, IL United States | 02/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mel Tormé has provided us with many exceptional recordings -- including "Mel Tormé Swings Shubert Alley," "Best of the Concord Years," and "Lulu's Back in Town," to name just a few -- and "Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire" ranks among them, among his best. Featuring classics from the Gershwins, Mercer, and Berlin, the arrangements are inspired and inspiring. The sound quality is outstanding. And most importantly, Tormé's singing is stunning. His voice is crisp, clean, and multi-dimensional. And there's absolutely none of the I've-fallen-in-love-with-my-voice affectations that have plagued him now and then in his later years. (Of course, if I sang like him, I'd have the same affectations... even more so; but then, I can't -- and no one else can either.)"

A Surprise Classic !!

N. Kokoshis | Madison, WI USA | 04/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I started collecting Mel Torme CDs late in 2004, this CD "Sings Fred Astaire" was way down on my list. Why? I guess because I had never seen a Fred Astaire movie and figured it would just be a batch of crooner songs, and jazz was what I wanted most from Mel. Boy was I ever wrong! This album is fabulous from start to finish, so good in fact that since I've heard it most of my vast collection newly acquired Mel Torme CDs has been put on the back burner for months. First of all, it may have been recorded at Mel's vocal peak, not in terms of the complexity of his singing (for that I go with Mel Torme At The Red Hill), but in terms of the flawlessness of his vocal cords. Secondly, the horn arrangements (by a ten piece "Dek-tette" orchestrated by Marty Paich) are superb and complex, and a big improvement over the big band style in my honest opinion. Before I had heard the dek-tette, I preferred Mel with just a trio over the big bands, but this album has made me reconsider. Listen to that incredible instrumental break in "The Piccolino," the jazz assault on "The Way You Look Tonight," or the two sax solos on "A Fine Romance." And that's just the instrumental highlights! You add Mel's voice just floating on top of these flawless arrangements, with not just good but great songs by the Gershwins, Fields/Kern, Mercer, and Berlin, and you have one of those obvious moments in pop history where a perfect merger of talents just peaks before your eyes, er, ears. It's almost impossible to pick favorites, but some titles that come to mind along with the above are "They All Laughed," "Top Hat, White Ties and Tails," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off' (probably the only familiar melody to me before hearing the CD).

Let me reemphasize-- this is a classic album. You don't need to be of this generation or familiar with this genre to recognize the genius that oozes out of this recording. The only drawback at the moment (April 2005) is that this CD is so rare they are going for over $44. Let's just hope we can get Bethlehem records to reprint it or give the rights to some other label that doesn't want to see this work relegated to obscurity. ----=- om---=-= Nick (SoulQuest7@aol.com)

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