Velvet Moods (2006)

Velvet Moods is a bit of an all-over-the-place compilation of 27 tracks Mel Tormé recorded near the outset of his recording career between 1946-1955. But it does give a good idea of the singer's versatility during this period, encompassing crooned pop; jazz, including four 1950 recordings with the Red Norvo Trio (who also had guitarist Tal Farlow and bassist Charles Mingus in their ranks); live performances; radio transcriptions; duets with Mary Osborne; and his elaborate, orchestrated 11-part "California Suite," which was ... Read More

Velvet Moods is a bit of an all-over-the-place compilation of 27 tracks Mel Tormé recorded near the outset of his recording career between 1946-1955. But it does give a good idea of the singer's versatility during this period, encompassing crooned pop; jazz, including four 1950 recordings with the Red Norvo Trio (who also had guitarist Tal Farlow and bassist Charles Mingus in their ranks); live performances; radio transcriptions; duets with Mary Osborne; and his elaborate, orchestrated 11-part "California Suite," which was quite an adventurous construction for popular music in 1949. The jazziest recordings are the most interesting ones, and those who think of Tormé as a stodgy crooner will be quite surprised by the dynamic numbers on which he really lets go with his scatting (like "Night and Day," and "That's Where I Came In"), which are downright thrilling and dynamic. Of course you do get some hokey, trivial period pieces like "On a Little Street in Singapore," as well as an early-'50s radio transcription of the holiday perennial "The Christmas Song" (which Tormé co-wrote). "California Suite" (presented here in its original 1949 recording) is a bit over-the-top in both its lush orchestration and epic travelogue structure, but does demonstrate that the concept album/suite had been introduced into popular music long before the rock era. No doubt a compilation of Tormé's early work with a more logical chronological flow could be assembled, but this CD does offer a lot of quality, diverse music. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi Read Less

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• CD, Very Good 2007 UPC: 5013929309029 See Item Details ▾

  Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB BEST Frederick, MD, USA

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  	Edition: 2007 CD, Very Good	Details: UPC: 5013929309029 Discs: 1 Released: 2007 Alibris ID: 16542319889	Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: $3.46 Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
  Seller's Description: Very Good. Very Good condition. Audio CD. Case Good. Case cracked/scuffed. Quality guaranteed! In original artwork/packaging unless otherwise noted.
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2007, UPC: 5013929309029 CD See All from $9.29