Home » Jazz Musicians » Mel Torme

Mel Torme

Mel Torme was among the most enduring singers from the big-band era, maligned by some as the epitome of lounge singer, acclaimed by many more as one of a talented and serious vocalist.

Legend has it that Torme began singing for his supper a Chicago restaurant when he was four and was working the vaudeville circuit soon after. He worked as a child actor on radio, and began writing songs in his early teens. In the early 1940s, he quit high school to became a boy singer (and drummer and part-time arranger) with Chico Marx's band.

His first fame coincided with Frank Sinatra's, and the two appeared together in their first film, "Higher and Higher." He wanted to be a jazz singer, "but I got sidetracked," he said. His manager "felt the way to the gold was for me to become a crooner. For a long period I was singing mushy, sentimental songs." His publicist coined the name, "The Velvet Fog," to describe his smooth style but he hated it (hecklers called him "The Velvet Frog").

In 1944, he formed his own vocal group, the Mel-Tones, which included a young Les Baxter and Henry Mancini's future wife, Ginny O'Connor. The Mel-Tones had several hits, on their own as well as paired with Artie Shaw's band. "What is This Thing Called Love?," which later became a jazz standard, was their biggest. The Mel-Tones were among the first of the jazz-influenced vocal groups, setting the direction later followed by the Hi-Los and the Manhattan Transfer.

In 1947, he broke out as a solo artist, and has stayed in fairly steady, if not spectacular, demand, since then. He had one #1 hit, "Careless Love," in 1949, and several minor hits, among them "Mountain Greenery" in 1956. He recorded several LPs in the mid-1950s with the Marty Paich Dektette, a collection of some of the best West Coast jazz performers, that are considered his best work. In 1962, he had a surprise hit with "Comin' Home, Baby," arranged by Claus Ogerman, a driving R&B-flavored number that more than a few mistook for something by Ray Charles, particular with its call-and-response bits with a female back-up group sounding remarkably similar to the Raelettes. Quincy Jones and Kai Winding both had hits with killer instrumental covers of this great tune. Ethel Waters, a great jazz and gospel singer, once said that Torme "is the only white man who sings with the soul of a black man."

Torme never stopped working on his vocal technique and he was always conscientious about protecting his voice: no smoking, only an occasional glass of wine, careful avoidance of drafts. "Before I sing I force myself to have seven or eight hours of sleep." As one writer put it, over the years, "The 'Velvet Fog' has lifted in recent years and has been replaced by a deeper, richer, more flexible sound."

Torme was always been willing to stretch out of the traditional pop standards. He recorded tunes such as "Homeward Bound," "Red Rubber Ball," and "Raindrops are Falling on My Head" in the late 1960s that either leave you in awe of his range and flexibility or cringing at his attempt to bridge a generation gap. His rendition of Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" is a highlight of Rhino's tongue-in-cheek "Golden Throats" compilation, but personally, I think his take on "Secret Agent Man" is the epitome of "spy lounge."

Torme wrote his own songs on occasion. In particular, his "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose"), first recorded in 1946 by Nat King Cole, is a true Christmas standard. He and his frequent lyricist Robert Wells wrote the song on a sweltering summer day:

I saw a spiral pad on his piano with four lines written in pencil," he recalled. "They started, `Chestnuts roasting ... Jack Frost nipping ... Yuletide carols ... Folks dressed up like Eskimos.' Bob didn't think he was writing a song lyric. He said he thought if he could immerse himself in winter he could cool off. Forty minutes later that song was written. I wrote all the music and some of the lyrics."

In all, Torme wrote over 300 songs. He also worked as an actor and writer. He had a TV talk show for a while in the '50s, and he was nominated for a best supporting actor Emmy in 1956 for a role in "The Comedian," a "Playhouse 90" production. He has also written a number of books, including a biography of drummer Buddy Rich, a remembrance of Judy Garland's disastrous television series, an autobiography, and a loving tribute to singers who influenced him, My Singing Teachers.

Torme's roughest period was in the late 1960s, when he seriously considered changing professions and becoming an airline pilot. But slowly, he rebuilt his following through a long series of club appearances. In the early 1980s, he collaborated with George Shearing on several excellent albums. "An Evening With George Shearing and Mel Torme" and "Top Drawer" earned him the Grammy for Best Male Jazz Vocalist in 1982 and 1983. Until suffering a stroke in August 1996, Torme performed constantly, moving comfortably from Las Vegas to jazz clubs to "The Simpsons." He's also known as the subject of fanatical devotion by Harry Anderson's character of the judge on the TV series, "Night Court."

My personal favorite of Torme's performances is "Ho-Ba-La-La" on his 1964 Columbia album arranged and conducted by Robert Mersey, "That's All." A true hep cat. Show less

Gang Violence

by Patrick Burnette
February 9, 2023

After almost a decade of planning and putting it off, the boys finally face their greatest fear: group jazz singing. What happens when three or four hipsters harmonize? Is it safe to even try to find out? Mike's not sure about that, but we tried anyway, and came up with this insight: you can't keep a good Boswell down. In pop matters, Pat brags about having seen all three incarnations of The Bad Plus live, so stay tuned for that.

274

Album Review

Mel Torme: Velvet Moods Featuring the Original California Suite

Read "Velvet Moods Featuring the Original California Suite" reviewed by David Rickert

by David Rickert
April 22, 2007

Few mastered every aspect of jazz singing like Mel Tormé did, from scat singing to vocal groups to arranging and composing to just plain crooning the hell out of a tune. However, more people know of Tormé than actually have him in their collection, which is a shame for jazz fans since he is more jazz-oriented than those who group him with the easy listening crowd suspect. Velvet Moods is a good representation of what Tormé was up to, while ...

201

Album Review

Mel Torm: The Classic Concert Live

Read "The Classic Concert Live" reviewed by George Harris

by George Harris
August 10, 2005

Back in '82 when this concert was recorded at Carnegie Hall, Mel Tormé was just starting his vocal ascent out of a slump by beginning a long and fruitful musical friendship with pianist George Shearing. Joined with Gerry Mulligan's big band, Tormé is in excellent form as he swings through an enthusiastic set of standards, bebop, and Ellingtonia.

This recording is quite important because it fills in gaps in each of the headliners' respective careers. Mulligan produced only one other ...

149

Album Review

Mel Torme: Torme

by David Rickert
December 21, 2003

“That Old Feeling,” the first track on Torme’s 1958 self-titled album, is a lively tune tinged with sadness – he’s happy to see his old lover, but he recognizes that he won’t fall in love again until he gets over her, which isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. On the next track, it’s a lonely Sunday morning, it’s gloomy, and he hasn’t been able to sleep. The somber mood pervades the rest of the album, turning this into a soundtrack ...

317

Multiple Reviews

Vocal Goodies II: Classic Singers

by David Rickert
December 18, 2003

Mel Torme Torme Verve 1958

“That Old Feeling , the first track on Torme's self titled album, is a lively tune tinged with sadness ï" he's happy to see his old lover, but he recognizes that he won't fall in love again until he gets over her, which isn't likely to happen anytime soon. On the next track, it's a lonely Sunday morning, it's gloomy, and he hasn't been able to sleep. The somber ...

136

Album Review

Mel Torme: The London Sessions

Read "The London Sessions" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
July 25, 2003

Professionalism, I suppose, implies the ability to perform to the best of one's ability in spite of whatever obstacles are placed in one's path. In June 1977, when the late Mel Tormé recorded the songs that comprise The London Sessions, he relates that he was nervous, apprehensive, and nearly exhausted after a long flight from jny: New York City, and preoccupied by thoughts of a soon-to-be-held divorce trial that would end his ten-year marriage to an Englishwoman. Nevertheless, ...

134

Album Review

Mel Torm: Live At The Playboy Jazz Festival

Read "Live At The Playboy Jazz Festival" reviewed by Jim Santella

by Jim Santella
November 1, 2002

Recorded at his final Playboy Jazz Festival appearance, this 36-minute session was envisioned by Mel Tormé as a tribute to the Swing Era. As was his habit, the singer created an eclectic set that included a little of everything: vocal with piano accompaniment, vocal interacting with big band, the singer with his reliable trio, and much more. Tormé was the consummate professional who never lost the fresh energy that sparked every appearance he made. His distinctive voice and his animated ...

Birthday