My Singing Teachers

by Mel Tormé

Mel Tormé is one of the world's great jazz vocalists, a veteran of radio, movies, television, recordings, night clubs, and concert halls. He is also a highly respected arranger and composer, the co-author of one of the enduring seasonal classics, "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an
Open Fire)." And were that not enough, he is also an accomplished writer, having penned, among other books, a moving biography of his close friend, drummer Buddy Rich, Traps, the Drum Wonder ; and an unblinking portrait of Judy Garland late in her career, The Other Side of the Rainbow . Now, in My
Singing Teachers , Tormé sums up his vast experience in a tour of American music that is spiced with insightful commentary, vivid anecdotes, and Tormé's own take on the art of the song.
Here is a pantheon of popular music and jazz, a sweeping look at American song from the perspective of one of its great practitioners. Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer, Ethel Waters and Nat "King" Cole, and many many more--all in one
way or another helped Tormé shape his inimitable style. Tormé has drawn inspiration from virtually every corner of the entertainment world, so the book has an enormous range--covering jazz, big band singers (such as Helen Forrest or Bob Eberly), Hollywood musical singers (such as Judy Garland and
Deanna Durbin), even cowboy singers (Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, among others), not to mention lyricists, composers, and arrangers. It brims with personal anecdotes and astute observations about the greats of American music, and reveals how they have influenced his craft. For instance, Tormé recounts
how, at age five, he first saw Bessie Smith in a one-reeler "The St Louis Blues" and how she still influences his blues singing. He reveals how playing at the Paramount with Ella Fitzgerald converted him from bobby-sox music to jazz. And most surprisingly, he shows how listening to instrumentalists
such as Ben Webster on tenor sax and Roy Eldridge on trumpet shaped his scat singing--even more than listening to the great scat singers. Tormé also pays homage to many lesser known figures, such as composer Harry Warren--whose songs include "I Only Have Eyes for You," "The More I See You," "We're
in the Money," and "Down Argentine Way"--and singer Connee Boswell, who was an important model for Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Torme himself. Perhaps most important, Tormé concludes with a chapter that captures his thoughts on singing, a section that every singer will find invaluable.
American popular music has been graced with many talented men and women whose wit, intellect, ingenuity, and craftsmanship have made this music immortal. My Music Teachers pays homage to these remarkable people as it celebrates the glories of the American song. All fans of pop or jazz, and
especially all fans of Mel Tormé, will find this book a treasure.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 1994

About the author

Melvin Howard Tormé, nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books. He co-wrote the classic holiday song "The Christmas Song" (also known as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") with Bob Wells.

Reviews

[Carey Dyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay -- but just okay. Not great. Mel himself is great, for sure, and I was hoping for a lot more of his "inside stories" on working with the best singers in the biz. I was also hoping for more about the craft of singing itself. Perhaps Mel covers that ground in some of his other books -- I may have just misinterpreted the title. That being said, what Mel does in this book is the work of an archivist. If you're looking for a catalog of the songs, arrangers, and composers who defined pop/jazz music in the 20s thru the 50s -- Mel gives you a play-by-play. But again, I found myself wanting more of Mel's cool stories about singing (of which there are a few) and less listing of song titles and albums.

[Khanh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mel Tormé’s My Singing Teachers is a warm and elegant tribute to the artists who shaped him, both as a musician and as a man. Known to many as the co-writer of "The Christmas Song" (or "“Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire”. Tormé was far more than the author of one beloved holiday classic. He was an accomplished arranger, drummer, a talented actor, a gifted composer, an insightful writer, and above all, one of the most distinctive and enduring voices in American music.

In this book, Tormé offers not a sweeping autobiography but rather a series of affectionate portraits of the singers who served as his guides and inspirations. Each chapter reads like a heartfelt nod to those who taught him—sometimes directly, often through example—how to interpret music with honesty and artistry. The book is as much about gratitude as it is about music.

As someone who has long appreciated Tormé’s singing voice, I found this book to be a delight. His prose carries the same rhythm and phrasing as his music—unfussy, graceful, and deeply felt. I came to it because I was searching for books written by and about teachers, drawn by my own vocation and appreciation for those who pass on wisdom. What I found was a testament to how influence and instruction often come not from formal classrooms, but from the artistry we witness and absorb.

I was especially moved by Tormé’s reflections on Nat King Cole, the first to record The Christmas Song. To see Tormé write with such admiration for Cole reminded me of my own earliest memories of hearing his voice—velvety, effortless, and mesmerizing. Even as a child, I knew I was listening to something extraordinary, and that sense of wonder has never left me.

Other artists celebrated in these pages (include Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Tony Bennett, to name only a few) further enriched the book, making it a luminous tour through some of the greatest voices of the twentieth century.

That said, there were moments I found jarring. In describing some women singers, for example, Tormé occasionally mentioned their specific body weight. While I can accept describing someone as physically large, citing an exact number feels unnecessary, regardless of the time period, given how judgmental society can be about body size. I found such personal details distracting from the musical legacies being celebrated.

Similarly, there are hints of what we would now recognize as ableism—for example, phrases such as “wheelchair bound” or “confined to her wheelchair,” and the implication that sitting on a stool for a performance was a superior alternative to a wheelchair. Most readers may not notice such subtleties, but I cannot disregard that some future readers—particularly those who are disabled or who are sensitive to issues of representation—might take offense. To those readers, it may help to remember that Tormé was writing in a time when such language was commonplace and rarely challenged.

Overall, reading My Singing Teachers gave me both insight and joy. It was a chance to step into Tormé’s world, to learn from his encounters with other talented professionals, and to wander back into the music of my own favorite artists who helped shaped me in turn.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, I'm the only one on Goodreads to have read this book.

Torme does a good (if a little artless) job profiling some of the singers, songwriters and musicians that influenced his career. The best parts were the anecdotes and profiles of some of the lesser known artists that Mel admired.