Mel Tormé & Wally Stott & His Orchestra – Tormé Meets The British (1957)

"Tormé Meets The British" is a concept studio album by the distinguished American jazz singer Mel Tormé, recorded with British conductor and arranger Wally Stott and his orchestra. The album was released in 1957 on Philips Records (in the US, it was released by Coral Records under the title "Mel Tormé Meets British Television" or as part of a similar series).

This release became a striking example of the cultural dialogue between the American "Cool Jazz" school of jazz and the refined British orchestral tradition.

The idea behind the album was to present an American jazzman in London, singing classic British folk songs, ballads, and contemporary (at the time) British popular themes, reimagined through the prism of jazz and swing. Tormé flew to England specifically for this session to work with Wally Stott, one of the BBC's top arrangers of the time (who years later would transition and become known as Angela Morley, a distinguished film composer and film composer).

The album is filled with gentle irony, gentlemanly charm, and Tormé's incredible vocal prowess, who doesn't just sing but literally plays with rhythm and lyrics.