I pressed play on this expecting to hate it. And I really dig it. The band is hot (good lord that piano player!) Mel sounds great. He really did this cover justice. Donald probably dug it.
Yes! This is great! And I like how Torme starts with the melody from Bernie's Tune -- very hip, and then plays with that same rhythm later in his improvisation. And the piano player -- he/she is burning it up!
@@johnrapp1116 John Campbell! Super underrated. He's my second favorite, behind Russ Freeman who was the pianist for Chet Baker. if you like John's playing with Mel, I highly recommend checking out Russ Freeman. specifically his tune Band Aid is very similar bebop wise and nice.
i had such a lousy day but it's behind me now because of mel torme singing this fabulous song. the musicians are fabulous too. wish i could watch this with my dad. he was a big fan of the one & only velvet fog.
@staytunedfor I've never known it as being underrated. It received a lot of acclaim when it was released, and Steely Dan fans especially have praised it.
@@gasaholic47 Yeah. It's one of the more acclaimed 80s Albums. If you wanna see an underrated Album, look at 2003's "everything must go". Never understood why they bashed it.
@@gasaholic47 Obligatory RUclips comment - "most underated group/album/musician". You know, like The Beatles lol. (apparently OP was embarrassed enough to remove the comment)
MT did a great job making the song his own but I still like the ambiguity of the DF version. Mel makes it about Cuba with direct reference at the start and adds the additional verse providing more certainty of escape. DF provides less certainty and leaves you hanging in that cynical suspense, a regular specialty of DF’s style, which is a more stark contrast to the upbeat tune and rhythm. I agree the guy on the keys is amazingly good. Mel could afford to hire the best and the rehearsed quality of the live performance says everyone on that stage was a true professional.
Agree but it’s arguably perfect for Torme’s (Japanese) audience. He’s really determined to get the story across and Fagen’s too oblique for some. I love how he scats the intro vibes solo and also the corny change from Gretchen to “baby”
Masterful! I saw Torme live at about this time headlining for Cleo Laine and Charlie Byrd. Def at the top of his game and his rendition of this is spot on.
Can honestly say I've never heard a bad rendition/cover of a Steely Dan composition. No matter who does it, the melodies are so strong and unique of Fagen & Becker that they hold up, especially if they're done by 'the master' Mel Torme. RIP Mel we'll be listening to you forever down here :)
@@thomaselliott573 no knock on Donald, but he had he added benefits of the studio technology (layered taping, double tracking high end mics etc;) to augment his recording. Mel is doing this live Thomas. Your watching The Master do it on the spot. His phrasing, pitch, and scat singing are perfect. Not to mention his timing. Torme is that short list of great jazz vocalsts of the 20th century occupied by Sinatra, Bennett and Ray Charles. Ask any schooled jazz musician what they think of Mel Torme and their response is 'The Velvet Fog' was the master. Those aren't my words Thomas those are Donald Fagen's
@@thomaselliott573 Okay, it's from a Donald Fagen album, but Becker and Fagen worked together on all those great Steely Dan albums that incorporated jazz and used some of the greatest jazz studio musicians and artists of all time, whether Aja, Pretzel Logic, Gaucho. Try hearing any of those on jazz radio stations: you won't. They are never played as far as I know. No reason not to except for the snobby jazz show DJs on those stations who are "purists."
Love Mel Torme! His versions of songs are on another planet! He's what I considered a true star! Velvet voice that whisked one away to places you never want to leave. 🥰🥰🥰
marcel de kleijn I was in Carré also. A good concert but not as magical as Tuschinski (perhaps the best concert i saw in my life) Saw him in New York a few years later with a quintet in Michaels Pub two times with a Benny Goodman oriented concert. A very very fast concert. Best singer of popular music in my opinion. Own most of his cd’s and all of his books. IT,s a pity that it’s not possible to but a good concert dvd from Mel in Europe. But RUclips is a great substitute.
I love how he approached what may have been a song with somewhat controversial lyrics, I'm sure because it was so brilliant! And his extension indicates how much he appreciated what the intention of the lyrics was!
On Fagen's The Nightfly album, those two songs are sequential, one about (hopefully) escaping Cuba in the nick of time, the other about subsequently arriving in Miami, reuniting with a loved one.
Everyone who wants to sing should be required to watch and listen to him. His recitation of the lyrics, his choices of notes and rhythmic patterns, all perfect
saw him years ago at the opening of the first Casino in Australia at Hobart Tasmania the Wrest Point hotel Casino he was stunning, had to go back the next night for more
Great cover of a nice tune. Torme quotes little bits of Gerry Mulligan's "Bernie's Tune" and Miles Davis' "Four" in his scatting. In bringing that repertoire to this pop tune he demonstrates his fluency with many diverse parts of the jazz tradition.
If you're at Donald Fagan fan and that didn't make you smile, there's something wrong with you! The Velvet Fog did a wonderful job!!!!
hello yes most dont mel torme is the velvet fog,, & when he sings the goodbye look ,Wow just WOW
oh yeah the one & only MEL TORME
absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes except I heard DF in an interview say he was not a fan of scat singing
It seems to me this song was written for him!
I think he also added a final verse, if I'm not mistaken...
Torme knew a great song when he heard it.
And wrote his own final stanza.
I pressed play on this expecting to hate it. And I really dig it. The band is hot (good lord that piano player!) Mel sounds great. He really did this cover justice. Donald probably dug it.
I bet Donald loved it and was honored
Yeah, the piano player is incredible
Yes! This is great! And I like how Torme starts with the melody from Bernie's Tune -- very hip, and then plays with that same rhythm later in his improvisation. And the piano player -- he/she is burning it up!
@@80three57 who is that piano player?? Weapons grade man.
@@johnrapp1116 John Campbell! Super underrated. He's my second favorite, behind Russ Freeman who was the pianist for Chet Baker. if you like John's playing with Mel, I highly recommend checking out Russ Freeman. specifically his tune Band Aid is very similar bebop wise and nice.
Could have been written for him. Excellent. Piano player is a killer.
The drummer is what makes it for me. Subtle yet interesting.
@@skraegorn7317 -great band!
It was not written for him. That is why this is a tragedy.
It was written for anyone who loves a masterpiece tune and wants to make it their own.
@@SuperHugobox please check your underwear, it may be to tight
One of the Litmus Tests of Badassery... Mel covers your tune.
You are so right!!!
That’s a freskin’ TERRIC phrase: “litmus test of Badassery” - and you’re right!!! Tormé team, particularly his pianist are Badass Delicious,
Quite marvellous in every way!
The look after saying “gun” absolute class 😂
Joe piscopo lol
Mel obviously enjoys every song he performs.. So full of life...
" All the Americans are gone except for two"
This is the most fucking cool thing on the internet tonight.
Mel defines “cool,” baby!
the most fucking cool thing EVER
It's just wonderful that this exists.
As a male singer Mel Torme was head and shoulders above the rest, and that includes Sinatra!
Perfection. His rhythm and that sassy style. Have loved him for decades.
That piano player! Holy cow! The Goodbye Look. Genius writing! Both music and lyrics!!!!
Que injusto esto de RUclips, solo se puede dejar un solo dedito arriba!!
I hope kids today can appreciate this someday.
One of the giants of jazz. Mel was not afraid to sing modern songs. Everything he sang sounded like a classic.
i had such a lousy day but it's behind me now because of mel torme singing this fabulous song. the musicians are fabulous too. wish i could watch this with my dad. he was a big fan of the one & only velvet fog.
Maestro Urbaniak pulls these melodies from somewhere deep inside
his being.......
The epitome of style and class! RIP Mel
He does Donald justice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And some!
What a talent! I was really lucky to meet Mel and jam with him before a show. What a nice guy.
I just realized that Donald Fagen wrote this about the Cuban Revolution. Thanks Sir. RIP!
Donald Fagen isn't dead.
@@wut6486 RIP Mel Torme.
The original of this is by Donald Fagen, off of The Nightfly.
@staytunedfor I've never known it as being underrated. It received a lot of acclaim when it was released, and Steely Dan fans especially have praised it.
@@gasaholic47 Yeah. It's one of the more acclaimed 80s Albums.
If you wanna see an underrated Album, look at 2003's "everything must go". Never understood why they bashed it.
@@kaustik185 Have it. Like it.
@@gasaholic47 well of course you do
@@gasaholic47 Obligatory RUclips comment - "most underated group/album/musician". You know, like The Beatles lol. (apparently OP was embarrassed enough to remove the comment)
I wish I could hear this same cut with no vocals and the piano turned up a bit. This man is ON FIRE!
MT did a great job making the song his own but I still like the ambiguity of the DF version. Mel makes it about Cuba with direct reference at the start and adds the additional verse providing more certainty of escape. DF provides less certainty and leaves you hanging in that cynical suspense, a regular specialty of DF’s style, which is a more stark contrast to the upbeat tune and rhythm. I agree the guy on the keys is amazingly good. Mel could afford to hire the best and the rehearsed quality of the live performance says everyone on that stage was a true professional.
The original lyrics does have "pour me a Cuban breeze."
Agree but it’s arguably perfect for Torme’s (Japanese) audience. He’s really determined to get the story across and Fagen’s too oblique for some. I love how he scats the intro vibes solo and also the corny change from Gretchen to “baby”
@@charmerci Yeah, but it's not the same without Gretchen.
Masterful! I saw Torme live at about this time headlining for Cleo Laine and Charlie Byrd. Def at the top of his game and his rendition of this is spot on.
Has Cleo Laine done this song??
I JUST LOVE THAT LINE,,, I KNOW A MAN WITH A MOTOR BOAT FOR HIRE A SKINNY MAN IN TWO TONE SHOES
Mel - what a singer and he really gets this across
Can honestly say I've never heard a bad rendition/cover of a Steely Dan composition. No matter who does it, the melodies are so strong and unique of Fagen & Becker that they hold up, especially if they're done by 'the master' Mel Torme. RIP Mel we'll be listening
to you forever down here :)
The master??? This sounds horrible in comparison to Fagen. BTW Becker had nothing to do with this song at any stage.
@@thomaselliott573 no knock on Donald, but he had he added benefits of the studio technology (layered taping, double tracking
high end mics etc;) to augment his recording. Mel is doing this live Thomas. Your watching The Master do it on the spot. His
phrasing, pitch, and scat singing are perfect. Not to mention his timing. Torme is that short list of great jazz vocalsts of the
20th century occupied by Sinatra, Bennett and Ray Charles. Ask any schooled jazz musician what they think of Mel Torme and
their response is 'The Velvet Fog' was the master. Those aren't my words Thomas those are Donald Fagen's
@@spactick What a pity it was just rhetoric
This one's alright, but check out Skunk Baxter's covers of Do It Again and My Old School. That'll show some bad SD covers
@@thomaselliott573 Okay, it's from a Donald Fagen album, but Becker and Fagen worked together on all those great Steely Dan albums that incorporated jazz and used some of the greatest jazz studio musicians and artists of all time, whether Aja, Pretzel Logic, Gaucho. Try hearing any of those on jazz radio stations: you won't. They are never played as far as I know. No reason not to except for the snobby jazz show DJs on those stations who are "purists."
So glad this is back, The piano is phenomenal!!!!
The great John Campbell.
Love Mel Torme! His versions of songs are on another planet! He's what I considered a true star! Velvet voice that whisked one away to places you never want to leave.
🥰🥰🥰
We won't see another with such great talent again. The best and great trio...
I can't stop replaying this
Same here, Mel at his very best!
oh my mel torme the velvet fog singing donald fagen songs a match made in heaven
Goodbye to Harry Anderson (Night Court) and I'll be forever grateful to you for introducing me to Mel Torme.
Never liked scat that much but when Mel does... i love it.
He should have done "Mumbles"....
Goodness Me!
Mel Torme covering Donald Fagan.
Fabulous!!
I like his added verse. And his scat singing.
Great song done by a great singer.. a classic..
The way they mix between bernie's tune with goodbye look is just amazing, what a great singer and band.
Brilliant tune masterfully performed. This man could sing.
El SR cantante es una bestia peluda( In Argentina, is something like, the Goat). El pianista, otra bestia!!!
How can you not love that!
I am not a fan of of scatting,but I will always accept it from Mel and Ella. And Louis! They are the the only ones who do it really well!
One of my favorite songs by the Velvet Fog!! 💓
I was lucky enough to tape this from fm radio when it was released. I always loved this cover and he just kills it live.
Where was this performed?
WOW NO one swings like mel torme or scats we love you mel
I honestly prefer this to the original, it sounds so classic.
Nobody better. I had the privilege to see him perform this song in Amsterdam in a night concert in 1989 in de Tuschinski theater. A dream come true!
erik mak, I was there too in Amsterdam! Amazing evening!
Saw him later in Carré as well, shook his hand and got an autograph ;-)
marcel de kleijn I was in Carré also. A good concert but not as magical as Tuschinski (perhaps the best concert i saw in my life) Saw him in New York a few years later with a quintet in Michaels Pub two times with a Benny Goodman oriented concert. A very very fast concert. Best singer of popular music in my opinion. Own most of his cd’s and all of his books. IT,s a pity that it’s not possible to but a good concert dvd from Mel in Europe. But RUclips is a great substitute.
Nobody better? You should have checked out Liane Caroll's cover version before you said that :)
@@busylizzie2009 On your recommendation I did - she's great!
Wow just Wow - nobody does it better...
Its like the song was written just for him! Esp. the bit at the end...here's to you, Mel!
Amazing great version!
This is just magic
I love how he approached what may have been a song with somewhat controversial lyrics, I'm sure because it was so brilliant! And his extension indicates how much he appreciated what the intention of the lyrics was!
Mel covered this & 'Walk Between Raindrops' on his album 'Reunion' with the Marty Paich Dectet. Donald approved!
On Fagen's The Nightfly album, those two songs are sequential, one about (hopefully) escaping Cuba in the nick of time, the other about subsequently arriving in Miami, reuniting with a loved one.
Thanks I didn’t know he did “walk between the raindrops” I’m pretty sure the title is taken from a late 50’s book about Zen!
Love this version ❤
02:50 - you can see the respect Mel has for the pianist - what a great performance. 10/10.
well done Mel .. you brought a new dimension to this marvellous song
John Campbell ( born 1955) on Piano. Genius Pianist and Vibraphone player.
This song is great.
Amazing. Love that tune know all the words and yes the whole band killed it.
I love how he quotes “Bernie’s Tune” over the opening minor passage around 0:24.
never knew that was a quote sweet
@@GabeKMusic its subtle but I picked up on it. 😀
MEL was GREAT anything he sang
Everyone who wants to sing should be required to watch and listen to him. His recitation of the lyrics, his choices of notes and rhythmic patterns, all perfect
Fantastic version! Great scatting, wonderful!
Bass player put it in cruise control. Amazing performance of this song!
Now that's a crowd pleaser!
Fantastic!
Saw the Velvet Fog in Portland Oregon. This was in the 1990’s. One of the greatest voices ever. Mesmerizing.
Wow, never imagined where this song came from, but here it is.
You just know Fagen would love this . Respect to you Mel .
OMG this was incredible!!!!
saw him years ago at the opening of the first Casino in Australia at Hobart Tasmania the Wrest Point hotel Casino he was stunning, had to go back the next night for more
What a great rendition of I will listen to a quite often
Changing the playback speed to 1.25x is life changing
Great of him droppin some Bernie's Tune in there!
Nice. He strongly emphasizes the great lyrics and in the beginning tells what the song is about if you had any doubt. The great Cuban Revolution.
I had no idea,thanks !
great? ha! I think a lot of Cubans might disagree with you
@@spactick
Some would. Many won't.
@@jaysonbiggs8979most would, because communism sucks
Fantastic piano!
Great cover of a nice tune. Torme quotes little bits of Gerry Mulligan's "Bernie's Tune" and Miles Davis' "Four" in his scatting. In bringing that repertoire to this pop tune he demonstrates his fluency with many diverse parts of the jazz tradition.
Love Steely Dan and Donald Fagan therefore I love Mel by association. I always dug lounge singing and scatting.
Yes Mel Torme... horn lines and vocal melody... surely donald approves
It's cool how Mel got his accountants to form a jazz trio and back him up.
Mel Torme and The Deductible Trio.
Fantastique
So articulate!
Brilliant!!!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
This piano player is amazing
You can understand everything he’s singing! What a great (better) remake! Pure enjoyment being displayed!
Brilliant !
What a Gem!!!🤘🏼😎
What the ..? Wow, I didn‘t expect that. Sooooooo good!!!
Really nice stuff. I prefer Gretchen to pour the drink is my only note 😝
The wonderful Mr Mel Torme, thanks for sharing.
Truly fabulous.
This is just too cool!
Oh my gosh this is so good
So glad I found my way to this corner of RUclips. Incredible. Or as Walter Beckett might say, "It's, like, real good."
私の大好きな曲です。原曲は軽快なリズムでもどことなく陰鬱な雰囲気なので、このアレンジは新鮮で愉快な気持ちになりました。
This is great!
Mel should have toured with Fagen & Becker they could have learned something from this master of vocal improvisation
Who's the phenomenal guy at the piano?
That's the great John Campbell -- check out his remarkable solo piano recording on Concord.
Donald's cousin...🤣
Damn that is masterful.
My brush with greatness, somehow I had his uncle as my lawyer in my 1969 divorce, it's a long story...