This 1997 CD reissues
Mel Tormé's 1965 album
That's All, ten songs only previously out as singles, and two unreleased titles.
Tormé sings beautifully throughout the set, but there are a few problems. The arrangements (mostly by
Robert Mersey and also including a few charts from
Dick Hazard,
Mort Garson, and
Pat Williams) are essentially unimaginative middle-of-the-road pop with an orchestra and occasional strings and background singers greatly weighing down the proceedings. The 24 selections (all ballads) are mostly taken at slow tempos and were clearly geared for radio airplay, clocking in around the three-minute mark, which means that
Tormé's improvising is held to a minimum. So if the melody is not strong, the singer was not given a chance to improve it, and if the tune was excellent,
Tormé's straightforward version added nothing to the song's legacy. At best, this CD makes for a pleasant listen, but get
Mel Tormé's Concord releases instead. ~ Scott Yanow