Mel Torme - Songs For Any Taste (1959/2013) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/96kHz]

Turn down the lights, turn up the volume and get transported back in time to a legendary jazz night club on the Sunset Strip in 1957. Songs For Any Taste is one of a trio of live albums Mel Tormé recorded at the Crescendo Club in Los Angeles. This album, the last of the three, fleshes out the remaining unreleased live material with one studio take. Tormé's longtime collaborator Marty Paich plays piano, arranges and leads the band.

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.

Tracklist:

01 - It's All Right With Me
02 - Manhattan
03 - Taking A Chance On Love
04 - Home By The Sea
05 - I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
06 - It's De Lovely
07 - Tenderly
08 - The Lady Is A Tramp: I Wish I Were In Love Again
09 - Autumn Leaves
10 - Nobody's Heart

Recorded at the Crescendo Club, Los Angeles, California in 1957 by BETHLEHEM.
Remastered by John Sigmon in 2013.
Transfer Engineers: Alex Nappi & Dana Pedersen.

Musicians:
Mel Tormé - vocals
Larry Bunker - accordion, vibraphone, bongos
Don Fagerquist - trumpet
Howard McGhee - trumpet
Marty Paich - piano
Ralph Sharon - piano
Mel Lewis - drums
Stan Levey - drums
Pat Moran Quartet - background vocals


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