James Tormé pulled out all the stops in his one-nighter at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency. I suggest he stick some back in and work on his voice which, while agile (like that of his legendary father, Mel), was suffering from strain, pitch problems (some notes almost a step flat) and various infirmities.

I have no major problems with nepotism (only envy) as it has brought us many worthy stars that might not have been discovered without their famous parents paving the way. Jack Jones, one of the all-time great singers, is the son of Alan Jones, the male ingénue and opera singer in the Marx Brothers classic, A Night at the Opera. The list is endless and often, if the children of a star don’t cut the mustard, they are quickly forgotten.

Who could live up to Mel Tormé? No one, of course, but the most unsettling surprise was the program's mish-mash of styles and arrangements. At first I took refuge in the hot and funky playing of his band—all virtuosos in their own right. Tormé handed out solos generously and, for the most part, the instrumentalists proved to be a solid source of the evening's entertainment. As Tormé moved away from the Great American Songbook to more recent pop, the arrangements (by his otherwise proficient pianist, Brandon Coleman) became cacophonous and truly grating.

The biggest missteps were the heavy mishandling of the breezy Michael Jackson song "Rock with Me" and the almost surreal "Let's Stay Together" (Al Green) with all the participants seemingly floating in and out of communication with each other musically. This is known as a train wreck in musical circles and most singers have had their share of them—but not so many in the same show.

Tormé is not completely bereft of ability. As previously mentioned, he was able to move his voice with some credible scatting—exampled by his rondo in "Too Hot to Handle." It also must be noted that when he opened his mouth and dropped his jaw, his often squeezed tone actually was freed-up—finding some true power and pitch—leading me to believe that with proper coaching (harder to find than a needle in a haystack), he might hit the sweet spot and find himself vocally. He should also toss many of the misguided arrangements that just serve to hamper him.

Melody Breyer-Grell
Cabaret Scenes
June 28, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org