Search - Mel Torme :: Sing Sing Sing

One of Torme's best albums.,

Mary Whipple | New England | 10/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded live at the Jazz Festival in Japan, 1992, this album, though coming late in Torme's career, shows him at his best. His fantastic band, consisting of Ken Peplowski on clarinet, Peter Appleyard on vibes, John Colianni on piano, John Leitham on bass, and Donny Osborne on drums, accompany Torme without stepping on his notes and do star turns of their own, showing that they are in their own ways every bit as talented as Torme. Ken Peplowski on clarinet is particularly remarkable, especially on the "Sing, Sing, Sing" segment of the tribute to Benny Goodman and on "Avalon," part of the same medley. In "Lover Come Back to Me," his solo is also a standout.



Torme is a master of pacing, and this concert is no exception. Starting with a jump beat in "Lulu's Back in Town," on which he sings scat, Torme then changes to a mellow, soft ballad, "Memories of You," in which the timbre of his voice matches the clarinet and vibes which accompany him. Cole Porter's "It's All Right With Me" starts uptempo and just keeps getting faster and faster, only to be followed by "These Foolish Things," another soft, slow ballad, and with a last high note that seems to go on forever.



The "Tribute to Benny Goodman," a 14-minute medley consisting of nine Goodman hits, starts with "Stompin' at the Savoy," and includes "And the Angels Sings," done "as Ziggy Elman does it," with wild hora beat and Torme singing scat. Donny Osborne has ample solo time, filling the Gene Krupa role in the medley, until Torme gets to "Sing, Sing, Sing," the longest of the medley songs, on which Torme himself does the Gene Krupa drum solo. The last few songs in the album alternate fast and slow, with "Three Little Words" containing some of the fastest scat I've ever heard, a real challenge to diction and phrasing, followed by the slow ballad "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry, from which Torme wrings a great deal of pathos. The grand finale is a wild "Lover Come Back to Me," followed by the encore, "Every Time We Say Good bye."



Torme is in total control, and his energy, pacing, and rhythmic variations make this album a tribute to his seemingly unlimited talent. Whether the songs are done as jazz variations, swing, or soft ballads, Torme never misses a note, and his fine band, each member of which does breathtaking solos, knows when to play quietly so that Torme can take the lead. A terrific live performance, beautifully recorded. Mary Whipple

"

Mel Torme - Sing Sing Sing

william grob | 06/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perhaps the best Torme cd I now own. Recorded at a jazz festival in Japan, Torme's vocal efforts are absolutely at his peak form, the accompaniments are excellent (Ken Peplowski, Peter Appleyard, etc), and the recording quality is much above average for a live performance. (FYI recorded in 1992). A knockout selection of standards, including a great tribute to Benny Goodman.

"