Mel Tormé – Mel Tormé And The Marty Paich Dek-Tette (Remastered 2013) (1956/2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Mel Tormé – Mel Tormé And The Marty Paich Dek-Tette (Remastered 2013) (1956/2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 38:27 minutes | 667 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Bethlehem Records

After flirting with bobby-soxer idolatry early in his career, Mel Tormé teamed up with arranger Marty Paich to explore the full range of his artistic potential. Together they conceived the idea of a 10-piece instrumental backing ensemble they dubbed the “Dek-tette”. On this reissue of 1956’s Bethlehem LP, Tormé is found singing with one of those Dek-tettes. Our featured track is the song that would become a Tormé trademark, “Lulu’s Back in Town”.

The uptempo, swinging album that naturally followed It’s a Blue World (Tormé’s languorous debut for Bethlehem), Mel Tormé with the Marty Paich Dek-tette is a vocal masterpiece, an extremely satisfying record achieved only by a fusion of an excellent voice, an excellent band, and excellent material. Tormé had been inspired musically by the swinging West Coast cool group of Gerry Mulligan; accordingly, he made sure that his new musical arranger, Marty Paich, was of a similar mind. The two came up with the “Dek-tette,” a group including no more than ten pieces and heavy on the stinging brass (including Pete Candoli and Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Bob Enevoldsen on trombone, and two French horns). The band is incredibly sympathetic and appears to hang on Tormé’s every word. The material, as well, is pure gold: Tormé is as buoyant and exuberant as he’s ever been, resulting in fantastic, definitive versions of inimitable standards like “Lullaby of Birdland,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” and “The Lady Is a Tramp.” There are a few down-tempo numbers (“The Blues,” “Keeping Myself for You”), but even on these Tormé sounds like he can’t wait to get to the next song and really stretch out. After its first release in 1956 as Mel Tormé with the Marty Paich Dek-tette, the album was reissued many times under various titles (Lulu’s Back in Town, The Tormé Touch), but surprisingly not to be reissued on CD until 1999.

Tracklist:
1. Mel Tormé – Lulu’s Back In Town (03:05)
2. Mel Tormé – When The Sun Comes Out (03:18)
3. Mel Tormé – I Love To Watch The Moonlight (02:50)
4. Mel Tormé – Fascinating Rhythm (02:27)
5. Mel Tormé – The Blues (03:33)
6. Mel Tormé – The Carioca (03:17)
7. Mel Tormé – The Lady Is A Tramp (02:47)
8. Mel Tormé – I’d Like To Recognize The Tune (03:14)
9. Mel Tormé – Keeping Myself For You (03:41)
10. Mel Tormé – When April Comes Again (02:56)
11. Mel Tormé – Lullaby Of Birdland (04:50)
12. Mel Tormé – Sing For Your Supper (02:23)

Personnel:
Mel Tormé – vocals
Marty Paich – piano
Bud Shank – alto saxophone
Jack DuLong – baritone saxophone
Bob Cooper – tenor saxophone
Jack Montrose – tenor saxophone
Bob Enevoldsen – trombone
Don Fagerquist – trumpet
Pete Candoli – trumpet
Albert Pollan – tuba
John Cave – french horn
Vince DeRosa – french horn
Red Mitchell – bass
Mel Lewis – drums

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