Top Drawer

FOLLOWING A PRETTY BARREN 60'S AND 70'S FOR ALL JAZZ SINGERS BOTH GEORGE AND MEL LINKED UP WITH CONCORD, A PROPER JAZZ COMPANY. THEY COMMENCED RECORDING A SERIES OF ALBUMS THAT DEMONSTRATED THE ART OF JAZZ SINGING AND SENSITIVE ACCOMPANIMENT FROM 'SIR' GEORGE.THE BALANCE OF UP-TEMPO AND GORGEOUS TENDER BALLADS ARE A MASTERCLASS IN THE ART OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK. GEORGE AND MEL EXUDED JOY IN WORKING TOGETHER AS ANYONE WHO SAW THEM WILL CONFIRM. JUST GET ANY OR ALL OF THESE 5 OR 6 CONCORD ALBUMS. AND WHILE YOU ARE AT IT GET 'TWO FOR THE ROAD' BY GEORGE AND CARMEN MCREA, ALSO FOR CONCORD. AND, WHILE YOU ARE STILL AT IT, LISTEN TO ANY OF THE SARAH VAUGHN ALBUMS FOR PABLO. ALL ENJOYING A FRUITFUL AUTUMN OF THEIR CAREERS.ALL BEAUTIFULLY RECORDRD.

Quick delivery good album

Mel Torme and George Shearing recorded a number of albums together for Concord. This album is the second of the series. To me, all the albums present to the listener the enormous talents of these giants -- musicality, wit, swing, and lyricism. I particularly love the "A"-side of this album, which presents "Shine On Your Shoes", "How Do You Say Auf Wiedersehen?", "Oleo", and "Stardust". The opener, "Shine On Your Shoes", starts with a medium-tempo stride-ish Shearing's piano introduction and then, after a few bars of Torme's singing, enters an up-tempo groove. The two-bar exchange among Torme, Shearing, and the bassist Don Thompson toward the end of the song is incredible. The next song, written by Blossom Dearie and sung by her in her "1975" is a masterpiece that shows the Blossom's taken as a songwriter. The song here is played by Torme with Shearing without the bassist. Shearing opens the song with an impression from the second movement of Serge Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto. "Oleo" is just Shearing and Thompson, and shows off Thompson's great mastery of the bass. The last song of the "A"-side, "Startdust" can be the only Mel Torme recording of this Hoagy Carmichael tune. Torme sings it beautifully. The "B"-side of course has wonderful playing of the three. The second to last song "Away In The Manger" is again the piano-bass duo and very appropriate for the Christmas season.

I heard some of his music and liked it so I bought this disc and several others. A little of Mel goes a long way. George Shearing however is outstanding and the sound is quite good.

This CD features George Shearing and Mel Torme both at their best. It's pure greatness. Get it.

What a combo - Shearing and Torme are two of my favorite performers, and here they perform standards for all those who remember great music.

For Mel Torme complete-ists only. He was trying too hard and the result sounds contrived and forced. Shearing was just along for the ride and did nothing to help. Ho hum.