The blink of an eye

What can you do, or what have you done, in 35 minutes that will leave a lasting mark on society, the arts, pop culture? Anything? Impossible?

You're a songwriter, and it's the middle of summer. Blazing hot. You're thinking of a way to keep cool, doodling around. Your singer/songwriter comes up and wonders what you're doing. You tell him about your predicament, and he looks at your charts, likes what he sees, and proceeds to extend and play with it. Thirty-five minutes later...

Pure bliss. And a classic.

Mel Torme and Robert Wells wrote a song that's never gone out of style. NPR profiles Torme in a recent edition of their Jazz Profiles program. The way he used his voice as an instrument is astounding. And so was his songwriting.