Mel Tormé Instant Party

Personnel: Mel Torm‚ (vocals); Mel Torm‚; Ed Bickert, Reg Schwager (guitar); Dave Woods (violin, trumpet); Bob Leonard (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); John "Woog" Johnson, Moe Koffman (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone); Alex Dean (flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone); Guido Basso (harmonica, trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Wilkins (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Gary Foster , Jerry Toth (alto saxophone); Eugene Amaro (tenor saxophone); Robert Leonard, Bob Efford (baritone saxophone); Arnie Chycoski, John MacLeod, Kevin Turcotte (trumpet, flugelhorn); Erich Traugott, Warren Luening, Steve McDade (trumpet); Gary Pattison, James MacDonald , George Stimpson (French horn); Dan Barrett , Alastair Kay, Lew McReary, Jerry Johnson , Bob Livingston, Dave McMurdo, Ian McDougall (trombone); Ernie Pattison, Rob Hughes (bass trombone); Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone); Jim Self (tuba); Jimmy Dale , Dave Restivo, Allen Farnham (piano); Chuck Berghofer, Don Thompson , Neil Swainson, Brian Torff (double bass); Ted Warren, Jerry Fuller, John Von Ohlen (drums); Brian Leonard (percussion); Ken Peplowski (tenor saxophone); Jack Sheldon (trumpet); Rob McConnell (valve trombone); Pete Jolly (piano, keyboards); George Shearing (piano); Jeff Hamilton , Donny Osborne (drums).

Arrangers: Rob McConnell; Marty Paich.

Concord's Instant Party series selects the most exuberant performances from the repertoire of their many good candidates -- Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, and now Mel Torm‚. Torm‚ recorded loads of great material for Concord during the last 15 years of his career, much of it in the vein for a good cocktail party. Featuring a lot of material in the concert setting where Torm‚ excelled, the compilation opens with a hilariously self-effacing "I'm Hip" ("I'm so hip I read People magazine") and a similarly amusing "Give Me the Simple Life." Not all of the inclusions encapsulate the concept; "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm," "Aren't You Glad You're You," and "The Carioca" are light enough but not effusive enough. Still, it's a cheap and effective introduction to the magic Mel Torm‚ created during his AARP years. ~ John Bush