Mel Torme Quotes

Whenever I did a good performance, my Dad and my uncles, who were rabid movie fans, took me to the movies. There began my underlying love affair with film.

There isn’t a dearth of it, but I will confess that it’s harder for me to find songs on which I’m willing to invest anything from ten to fifteen hours writing an arrangement than it was in times past.

Talking money is crass; so I’m not going to tell you what I made last year.

So I’m sorry, I’m going to continue to talk to the people, because I do believe that if they get to know you and what you are as a human being, they can more appreciate what you are as a performer.

See, I never wrote arrangements for the band for Judy Garland; I did strictly special material, special lyrics, put together all of her medleys.

Right now, my career is in three directions: as a performer, as an arranger, as an author – and I don’t give any one of them true precedent, or true top marks, as opposed to the other two.