Goodbye Mel

[David R. Willard]

Mel Torme` died.

He covered a couple Fagen tunes: "The Goodbye Look" and "Walk
Between the Raindrops."

Jerry Reed is in hospital.

What all this means I have no idea.

They go in threes is all I know....

[Jackofdays]

Willard wrote:

>Mel Torme` died.
>
>He covered a couple Fagen tunes: "The Goodbye Look" and "Walk
>Between the Raindrops."
>

I'm so glad you mentioned this. I just saw a biography of Mel on t.v. yesterday
and at the end, the words on the screen, "Mel Torme, 1923-1999." I couldn't
believe he could have passed out of this world without me hearing about it. I
loved his voice SO MUCH, his incredible facility and skill. He used his voice
(trite, I know) like a great guitar player or horn player uses his/her
instrument. He was a year younger than my mother, still alive and can't sing
for shit.

In an interview with Mel a few years ago, he mentioned Donald Fagen as having
one of the best voices in the business today. This began a discussion on this
newsgroup about whether DF was a real singer or a vocal stylist. Take your
pick, is what I say.

Don't rest in peace, Mel. May your spirit haunt the wind and blow beautiful
scat through velvet pipes into all our minds' ears.

diane

Curiosity killed the cat. But for a long time, the authorities suspected me.

There's nothing funny about AOL.

http://members.aol.com/membabe/libelsuit.htm

[ikr]

I read Mel's obituary in today's copy of 'The Independent' (UK broadsheet
daily) and was similarly shocked at his death. I heard his cover of Walk
Between The Raindrops on the radio a few years ago and was (pleasantly)
surprised that he'd covered a Fagen song - respect due from unexpected
quarters? Perhaps not.

Re Fagen's voice: I would have thought definitely 'vocal stylist'. I heard
his style described once as 'spitting out / snarling the lyric' which almost
fairly describes it, but not quite. The thing I really like about his style
is the way he can hit those 'jazz' intervals [the raised 4th at the end of
the second line of the verse in Florida Room, for example, or the chromatic
lines in On The Dunes] that you'd expect from a jazz singer, except that in
terms of pure 'sound quality', he doesn't sound anything like a jazz singer,
if you see what I mean. It's something that somebody like Sting strives for,
but I don't think quite gets there. Is Sting a Fagen/SD fan, does anybody
know?

Ian

Jackofdays <jacko...@aol.comedy> wrote in message
news:19990606172048...@ng-fg1.aol.com...

[David R. Willard]

Ya gotta admit, Mel's a little squaresville, though he had a smooth
quality. Perhaps he's too white. (Oops, WAS too white)

On the other hand Walter Becker has no singing talent. When Wally's
turn comes in concert, it's time to get a beer, take a whiz, or stare
at the wall.

Donald Fagan IS Steely's voice. though if the guys can get David
Palmer or perhaps two or three girl singers to do "brooklyn" and
other early songs for the next tour, Don can take his break... in my
ever humble opinion.

BTW Walter has some tasty guitar in concert. The hired guns "ROCK ON"
a little too extensively.

[MelissaHC]

On Thursday, 10 June 1999, David R. Willard asked for trouble in the following
manner:

<< Ya gotta admit, Mel's a little squaresville, though he had a smooth
quality. Perhaps he's too white. (Oops, WAS too white) >>

(Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean...)

Go out and buy a copy of 'Mel Torme Swings Shubert Alley.' Listen to it a few
times, then come back and tell us you still think he's 'squaresville.'

I dare you. (I might attach a smiley emoticon here if I didn't loathe them so.)

-Melissa

P.S. Steely Dan fans might like reading/rereading the liner notes on Mel
Torme's 1988 album, 'Reunion,' which features 'The Nightfly' covers. Torme's
musings about Donald Fagen will warm your heart.

[DrJ]

thank you, Melissa, for fielding that grounder [unassisted put out]
my chant to prevent hypertension is:

(calm blue ocean, Melissa's response...
calm blue ocean, look, Harvey, a crab)

squaresville, too white?
oy vay baby.
so was Wes Montgomery, right?

no smiley emoticons here
David

[David R. Willard]

>Go out and buy a copy of 'Mel Torme Swings Shubert Alley.' Listen to it a few
>times, then come back and tell us you still think he's 'squaresville.'
>
>I dare you. (I might attach a smiley emoticon here if I didn't loathe them so.)
>
>-Melissa

On your advice I went to my pal's house the other day and we spun some
Mel. (He's got a Charlie Parker collection to die for.) Certain
tunes did expose His Hipness as a true, un-square cat.

This was all my humble opinion, I brought the news of Mel's demise to
this group in the first place, so closed circuit to DrJ or whatever:
lighten up and take some meds.

Back to the topic at hand:

Here's what his daughter Tracey Torme` said about him and his fondness
for SD, 'specially Donald on CDNow, link follows :

Q. Given his famous dislike for rock, did he take much interest in
your musical tastes?

Tracy: "He became a huge Steely Dan fan. He thought Steely Dan were
absolute geniuses, especially Donald Fagen. He also liked James
Taylor; he liked Bonnie Raitt; and believe it or not, he liked Bread
-- he thought David Gates was a really great writer."

Bread....diff'rent strokes, eh david?

this interview is at:
http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=197376128/pagename=/RP/GENRES/cms_genres.html/fid=9526