Search - Mel Torme, Buddy Rich :: Together Again for the First Time [MFSL Audiophile Original Master Recording]

WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?

Mary Whipple | 10/22/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I HAVE THIS ON A DIRECT TO DISC ALBUM/ TWO OF THE GREATEST MUSICIANS IN THEIR FIELDS (AND ALSO THE BEST OF FRIENDS). A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO IS IN TUNE TO JAZZ. ESPECIALLY CKECK OUT "BLUES IN THE NIGHT""

Doesn't get much better

Mary Whipple | 06/07/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Fantastic direct to disc recording! A must for fans of Buddy, Mel, or big band."

Two consummate musicians in free-wheeling collaboration.

Mary Whipple | New England | 07/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though singer Torme and drummer Rich were friends for years, they never made a recording together until relatively late in their careers. In this album, a new release of a 1978 recording, we hear two giants in their fields having fun together in a direct-to-disc LP which sounds like a live performance. Rich and his band cede artistic control here to Torme, whose arrangements are featured on all but "Blues in the Night," which, incidentally, is an amazing song, full of unusual sounds and tempos, lasting a full eight minutes, and featuring a solo of jazz tuba.



Torme has perfect pitch, and Rich has perfect tempo, and together they create a jazz album which goes way beyond the traditional interpretations of these well-known songs, breaking new ground and leaving a legacy for modern performers to emulate. "Here's That Rainy Day" is one of my favorites here, its introduction also featuring "Soon It's Gonna Rain," followed by a tenor sax solo by Phil Woods (brought in for the occasion), which then continues in the background as Torme turns this traditional song into a slow, bluesy ballad, full of drama, long-held notes, and his lovely vibrato.



"Bluesette" features a great Buddy Rich solo, which gradually becomes softer and continues in the background as the bluesy trumpets enter and Torme takes over. Other Torme favorites here include "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and "I Won't Last a Day Without You," each of them enhanced by Rich's drums, which alternate with the vocals. An imaginative, interesting, and unusual album, this Torme/Rich collaboration is certain to appeal to jazz buffs and fans, with two of the greats bringing new sounds and meanings to old favorites. Mary Whipple

"