TORME MEL: TORME 1LP

Most of Mel Torme's albums for Verve and Bethlehem during the 1950s concentrated on material either carefree (usually up-tempo) or reflective (mostly down-tempo), but 1958's Torme blended the two. For every bouncy single like "That Old Feeling" or "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out of My Life," Torme sinks into the depths with "Gloomy Sunday," "The House Is Haunted (By the Echo of Your Last Goodbye)," or his dramatic eight-minute reading of "Blues in the Night." All this makes for a bit of emotional confusion while listening to Torme, but the LP pulls together for the most part. ~ John Bush