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Mel Torme

Mel Torme On Piano Jazz

Mel Torme. David Redfern/Redferns hide caption

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David Redfern/Redferns

Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz

Mel Torme On Piano Jazz

In this session from 1992, Torme performs his own songs, "Stranger In Town" and "Born to Be Blue," as well as favorites such as "Dream Dancing" and "Time After Time" with Marian McPartland.

Mel Tormé In The Studio

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Music Interviews

Torme Gets Hip to 'Zaz Turned Blue'

Musician and writer David Was recounts how the man who wrote "The Christmas Song," jazz crooning legend Mel Torme, was pursuaded to record one of Was' very unconventional tunes — a song that would later become part of Torme's act.

Torme Gets Hip to 'Zaz Turned Blue'

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Singers In The Rain: Jazz Amid The Deluge

Gene Kelly's iconic performance in Singin' in the Rain was informed by the rhythms of jazz. MGM Studios/Hulton Archive hide caption

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MGM Studios/Hulton Archive

Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Singers In The Rain: Jazz Amid The Deluge

Jazz24

It's early November, and for many in America, that means that when we go outside, we're likely to get wet. Whether we're dodging sprinkles, showers or downpours, November is part of a rainy season. Hear five songs from vocalists inspired by rain, including Gene Kelly, Patricia Barber and Mahalia Jackson.

Mel Tormé: The 'Velvet' Voice of Jazz

Mel Torme in the BBC recording studio of the Paris Cinema, Piccadilly, London. John Franks/Getty Images hide caption

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John Franks/Getty Images

NPR's 'Jazz Profiles'

Mel Tormé: The 'Velvet' Voice of Jazz

Known in his heyday as "The Velvet Fog," Tormé was a consummate entertainer: a drummer, singer, composer, arranger, lyricist, writer and actor. Of course, underneath it all was his intuition for all things jazz — and a voice to match.

Mel Tormé: The 'Velvet' Voice of Jazz

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