BORN IN CALIFORNIA.

Multi-award winning vocalist James Tormé’s Birth Of The West Coast celebrates the artists and arrangers who pioneered the West Coast Jazz, (a.k.a. ‘Cool Jazz’) era.

One of the most natural melodic and rhythmic improvisers you’ll ever hear, Tormé uses his creamy, floaty voice to uncover new magic from this incredible chapter in American music history,

Breathing new life into the world-famous Marty Paich ‘Dek-tette’ sound embraced so masterfully by James’ father Mel and Ella Fitzgerald, the jaw-dropping work of Capitol Records’ Russ Garcia and Pete Rugolo, the brilliant restraint of Johnny Mandel and Bill Holman, the smokey, hard-hitting arrangements of Billy May and Shorty Rogers and the delicate touch of Bill Byers, Tormé dusts off these great mid-century songs one at a time to take them to the next level.

From Ella Fitzgerald’s “Black Magic” and “Whisper Not”, Quincy Jones and Ray Charles’ “In The Heat Of The Night”, Peggy Lee’s “Come Back To Me”, and Mel Tormé’s “Too Close For Comfort”, “Too Darn Hot”, “No Moon At All” and “Hi-Fly”, the second-generation vocal star covers all the important ground.

With shades of other major influences Chet Baker, Anita O’Day, Nat ‘King’ Cole, June Christy, Chris Connor (his dad Mel), Lou Rawls and more, Tormé’s Birth Of The West Coast is a one-of-a-kind musical experience.

SELECTED TITLES FROM BIRTH OF THE WEST COAST

“That Old Black Magic”
“Whisper Not”
- Ella Fitzgerald / arr. Marty Paich

“Swingin’ On The Moon”
- Mel Tormé / arr. Russ Garcia

“Margie”
- Ray Charles / arr. Marty Paich

“Feeling Good”
- Chris Connor / arr. Bill Byers

“Down For Double”
“Don’t Get Around Much Any More”
- Mel Tormé / arr. Johnny Mandel

“At The Crossroads / Malegueña”
- Mel Tormé / arr. Billy May

“Come Back To Me”
- Peggy Lee / arr. Bill Holman

“Moanin’ ”
“Green Dolphin Street”
- Mel Tormé / arr. Shorty Rogers