AMG Review of Best of the Concord Years

John Bush
All Music Guide

For nearly 20 years, critics have been praising Mel Tormé's recordings for Concord, the label he spent the last 13 years of his career recording for, in a variety of settings. Fans of his '50s and '60s heyday, however, have often had difficulty approaching the work of Tormé's last 13 years. The Best of the Concord Years presents two hours of his best on the label, including a mix of live and studio sessions recorded with groups both small and large, originally issued on solo albums as well as his excellent collaborations with George Shearing, Rob McConnell, Marty Paich, and the Frank Wess/Harry Edison Orchestra. No, Tormé wasn't at his performing peak on "Hi-Fly," recorded in 1983, but his emphatic delivery and scatting finale will surprise listeners unaware that he was nearing the age of 60. The selections are roughly chronological and include many gems from Tormé's later career: "Lullaby of Birdland" with George Shearing taking one careful run-through before Tormé himself storms through the song; his perennial "Too Close for Comfort," delivered with just as much emotion and exuberance as it had been 40 years earlier; and a languid, touching "These Foolish Things" recorded at the ~Fujitsu-Concord Jazz Festival in 1992. Yes, the polish was wearing off what had once been the most able voice to ever grace an American popular song, but these songs reveal a depth of experience and consistency unmatched during the 1950s.