Mel Tormé - Smooth As Velvet (1991)

Allmusic.com:

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Smooth as Velvet captures two sessions Mel Tormé cut during the early stages of his career. The first was with a small group headed by Dave Barbour during 1946 and 1947, and the second took place in 1957 with the Marty Paich Dekette (plus strings) for the Tops label. Each session is very good Tormé, and each has its special listening delight. When he hooked up with Dave Barbour (who appears on five of these cuts), Tormé had been recording for four years, and he demonstrates his sympathy for and control over the ballad form. Barbour's understated, calm guitar sets off Tormé's voice to perfection, creating a cozy, intimate setting for such classic tunes as "A Cottage for Sale," "Don't Take Your Love from Me" and "Gone with the Wind." There is also a very good pianist on these cuts who regrettably is not identified; it might be either Buddy Cole or Arnold Ross, both of whom were playing for Barbour during this period. The second date was one of the many mutually rewarding sessions Tormé was to have with Marty Paich over their long careers. On some cuts, Paich added strings, which don't lend much to the proceedings. But they are more than offset by the presence of one of the more lyrical trumpet players of the time, Don Fagerquist, who, as he has done for such singers as Ella Fitzgerald, Jeri Southern and June Christy, plays delicate, intriguing figures to accentuate the musical thoughts expressed by Tormé. Listen to his trumpet on "One Morning in May," "Ghost of a Chance" and particularly on "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me." Most of the tracks illustrate Tormé's special affection for standards, most of which are done in a nice easy tempo. There are songs made famous by others, like "Love Me or Leave Me" (Ruth Etting and "Don't Take Your Love from Me" (Mildred Bailey). But with his inimitable phrasing, sense of timing, and perfect pitch, Torme puts his own imprimatur on these selections. Smooth as Velvet symbolizes a couple of impressive pit stops early in Mel Tormé's trek to becoming one of our finest and most admired pop and jazz singers.

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Tracklist:

01 One Morning In May
02 I Surrender, Dear
03 Don't Worry 'Bout Me
04 (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance With You
05 Something To Live For
06 I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
07 I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
08 I Cover The Waterfront
09 Prelude To A Kiss
10 I've Got The World On A String
11 Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
12 I Can't Give You Anything But Love
13 A Cottage For Sale
14 Don't Take Your Love From Me
15 Gone With The Wind
16 Love Me Or Leave Me