Cotton Tail – 1988
Mel Torme
Torme shows that he could have been a fulltime drummer
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Mel Torme was certainly a multi-talented individual.
Not only was he a superb singer, whether interpreting ballads or scatting on Ella Fitzgerald’s level, but he was a talented songwriter, a skilled arranger, and a decent pianist.
He does none of that during this 1988 performance.
Instead the 63-year old Torme plays drums quite well, with exuberance, and with the influences of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa.
He drives the Marty Paich Dek-tette, there are short spots for trumpeters Warren Luening and Jack Sheldon plus Ken Peplowski on tenor, and the highpoint is an extended duet with Peplowski on clarinet.
It is fair to say that some individuals have much more than their share of talent.
-Scott Yanow
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