Mel Torme - The Duke Ellington and Count Basie Songbooks

The Duke Ellington and Count Basie Songbooks

By Mel Torme

Very Good Condition

Recorded with the Johnny Mandel Orchestra at sessions in Los Angeles, it includes one half Duke Ellington and one half Count Basie plus Leroy Carr's "In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)." With all these things going for it, how can Tormé do wrong?

A Review:

Why this CD is still out of print remains a mystery, as the "Duke Ellington/Count Basie Songbook" (originally titled "I Dig the Duke, I Dig the Count") is arguably the best album Torme recorded for Verve. As one would expect, the songs are great--especially the slow numbers like "I Like the Sunrise," "Reminiscin' in Tempo" (with lyrics by Torme), and blues numbers like "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" and "In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)." Meanwhile, Torme's voice is at its very best and the arrangements by the legendary Johnny Mandel are cutting-edge.

Although "Mel Torme Swings Schubert Alley" gets the most recognition for being Torme's best album from the Verve years, I'd go with "The Ellington/Basie Songbooks," followed closely by the grossly underrated "Torme."