Time flies. In May of 2006, NYC’s Metropolitan Room opened with singer-pianist Billy Stritch’s salute to Mel Tormé. Flash forward four years, to May of this year, and the club welcomed another Tormé tribute. Warren Schein is more low-key and leaves keyboard work to Albee Barr. With bassist Dave Schaich, the approach was respectful, graceful and gentlemanly. “We Knew Him Well,” (“…his name was Mel..”) a sweet Schein original, set up the fan club meeting. I’m in. Our warbling Warren, physically and vocally, notably resembles the icon, his high, ultra-smooooooth voice gracing the standards with loving and lovely legato.

Singer/actor Schein gravitates to the mellow Mel melody treatments, honey for the ears. Creamy/dreamy balladeering can be endearing, “pretty” can risk becoming pretty dull when a ballad grows pallid from lack of personalization. Encouraging the audience to sometimes sing along (many did, gladly) was enervating as I heard things (or tried to). It also led to keeping the music very “straight.” But the vocalist showed much musical skill, including scat-singing and getting some up-tempo tunes to percolate, like “Lulu’s Back in Town.” Well-covered classics (Porter, Gershwin, Mercer) dominated, some in medleys. Why not more than one example of Tormé the songsmith — we only got the best-known: that old chestnut about those “chestnuts roasting on an open fire.” Alas, little biography or insight came with the ride, but I enjoyed the ride along Memory Lane.

He returns to the venue on June 5.

Rob Lester
Cabaret Scenes
May 23, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org