Unforgettable Songs by Johnny Hartman

Last updated

Unforgettable Songs by Johnny Hartman
Unforgettable Songs By Johnny Hartman Cover.jpg
Studio album by
Johnny Hartman
ReleasedSeptember 1966
RecordedFebruary 15, 17–18, 1966 [1]
VenueLos Angeles
StudioUnited Recorders
Genre Jazz
Length30:05
Label ABC-Paramount
Producer Bob Thiele
Johnny Hartman chronology
The Voice That Is!
(1965)		Unforgettable Songs by Johnny Hartman
(1966)		 I Love Everybody
(1967)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
DownBeat Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Unforgettable Songs by Johnny Hartman is a studio album by American jazz vocalist Johnny Hartman, released in 1966 by ABC-Paramount Records. Gerald Wilson served as the arranger and conductor, and the album was produced by Bob Thiele.

Contents

The album was Hartman's first on ABC-Paramount, parent company of jazz subsidiary Impulse!, where he had recorded his three previous albums. The move was intended to bring the singer to a larger audience. According to Hartman's biographer, Gregg Akkerman, producer Bob Thiele "was trying his hardest to present a Tony Bennett-style pop album." ABC-Paramount offered little promotional support, however, and neither the album, nor its single ("The Very Thought of You") made it onto popular music charts. [1]

In 1995, Impulse! released a compact disc version of the album, entitled Unforgettable, that also included Side 2 of I Love Everybody (1967), Hartman's other LP with ABC-Paramount. [6]

Reception

Jason Ankeny at Allmusic calls the album "delightful," saying it "captures Hartman at his most effervescent, teaming with arranger Gerald Wilson to create a set of buoyant, swing-era standards crafted with impeccable style and sophistication." [2]

Author and music critic Will Friedwald said Thiele's decision to have Hartman record more pop-oriented work was "an inspired idea" and the album was "classic Hartman all the way through." He contrasts the work with the more well-known John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, noting that "Unforgettable, ostensibly a pop outing, has him conforming even more to the archetype of a 'jazz singer' than he does on the Coltrane album." [7]

Reviewing the album upon its initial release, Gene Lees at Stereo Review called Hartman "a very good singer – rich-toned, warm, and musical" but criticized Wilson's string arrangements. "When he's working with brass, saxes, and rhythm, an idiom with which he has long been comfortable, he's first-rate. But when he's using strings and rhythm, he's not quite as good. I get the feeling he hasn't been given sufficient chance to work with strings. And the string players here are bad. Fortunately, most tracks are with the band." [8]

In another contemporary review, DownBeat said, "This is the timeless artistry of a great voice.... The band, under Wilson's hand, is a clean, precision instrument deftly handled with feeling. Not one instrument is wasted or one passage carelessly executed." The reviewer also stated that "Hartman has rarely sounded better and ... is more flexible than he has been in years.... There have been better records of Hartman singing, but this is one of his best complete works." [4]

Track listing

Side 1

  1. "The Very Thought of You" (Ray Noble) – 2:48
  2. "Fools Rush In" (Johnny Mercer, Rube Bloom) – 2:46
  3. "Love Is Here to Stay" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 2:17
  4. "Once in a While" (Michael Edwards, Bud Green) – 2:29
  5. "Bidin' My Time" (Gershwin, Gershwin) – 2:07
  6. "Down in the Depths" (Cole Porter) – 2:49

Side 2

  1. "Ain't Misbehavin'" (Fats Waller, Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf) – 2:33
  2. "Isn't It Romantic?" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 2:05
  3. "Unforgettable" (Irving Gordon) – 2:40
  4. "The More I See You" (Harry Warren, Mack Gordon) – 2:25
  5. "What Do I Owe Her?" (Fred E. Ahlert, Benny Goodman) – 3:15
  6. "Almost Like Being in Love" (Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe) – 2:38

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>The Complete Porgy and Bess</i> 1956 studio album by various

This 1956 recording based on George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess was the second "complete" recording of the opera after the 1951 version, and the first recording of the work to feature jazz singers and musicians instead of operatic singers and a classical orchestra.

<i>Ella at Dukes Place</i> 1965 album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella at Duke's Place is a 1965 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. While it was the second studio album made by Fitzgerald and Ellington, following the 1957 Song book recording, a live double album Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur was recorded in 1966. Ella at Duke’s Place was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1967 Grammy Awards.

Johnny Hartman Musical artist

John Maurice Hartman was an American jazz singer who specialized in ballads. He sang and recorded with Earl Hines' and Dizzy Gillespie's big bands and with Erroll Garner. He is best remembered for his collaboration in 1963 with saxophonist John Coltrane, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, a landmark album for both him and Coltrane.

<i>Dear Ella</i> 1997 studio album by Dee Dee Bridgewater

Dear Ella is a 1997 studio album by Dee Dee Bridgewater, recorded in tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, who had died the previous year.

<i>John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman</i> 1963 studio album by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman is a studio album featuring John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman released by Impulse! Records in July or August 1963. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013.

<i>Lush Life</i> (John Coltrane album) 1961 studio album by John Coltrane

Lush Life is an album by jazz musician John Coltrane, released in early 1961 on Prestige Records. It was assembled from previously unissued tracks from three recording sessions at Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey in 1957 and 1958. As Coltrane's profile increased during the 1960s, some years after the end of his Prestige contract, the label used unissued recordings to create new albums without Coltrane's input or approval.

<i>All of Me</i> (John Pizzarelli album) 1992 studio album by John Pizzarelli

All of Me is a studio album by American jazz singer and guitarist John Pizzarelli, backed by a string orchestra that includes his brother, Martin Pizzarelli. Also on the album is his father, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.

<i>Octet Plays Trane</i> 2000 studio album by David Murray Octet

Octet Plays Trane is an album by the David Murray Octet, released in 2000 on Justin Time. The musicians include Murray, Rasul Siddik, Hugh Ragin, Craig Harris, James Spaulding, Ravi Best, D. D. Jackson, Mark Johnson and Jaribu Shahid. The album contains Murray's versions of compositions by John Coltrane, and is dedicated to Bob Thiele.

<i>New York, N.Y.</i> (album) 1959 studio album by George Russell

New York, N.Y. is an album by George Russell, originally released on Decca in either July or August 1959.

<i>Yesterdays Love Songs/Todays Blues</i> 1963 studio album by Nancy Wilson

Yesterday's Love Songs/Today's Blues is a 1963 studio album by Nancy Wilson, arranged by Gerald Wilson. It was her highest charting album, entering the Billboard Top 200 on January 25, 1964, and ultimately reaching No. 4. It remained on the chart for 42 weeks. The 1991 CD edition featured a different cover image and added five bonus tracks drawn from other sessions with Gerald Wilson.

<i>Super Hits</i> (Miles Davis album) 2001 greatest hits album by Miles Davis

Super Hits is a greatest hits album from Miles Davis. Released in 2001, it reached #22 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart.

<i>All of Me: The Debonair Mr. Hartman</i> 1957 studio album by Johnny Hartman

All of Me: The Debonair Mr. Hartman is a 1957 album by Jazz singer Johnny Hartman. It was released on the Bethlehem label. The album was reissued in 2000 with four additional tracks, alternate takes of songs from the original album.

<i>New York, New Sound</i> 2003 studio album by Gerald Wilson Orchestra

New York, New Sound is an album by the Gerald Wilson Orchestra recorded in 2003 and released on the Mack Avenue label.

<i>Theme for Monterey</i> 1998 studio album by Gerald Wilson Orchestra

Theme for Monterey is an album by the Gerald Wilson Orchestra recorded in 1997 and released on the MAMA label.

<i>Swing</i> (Renée Geyer album) 2013 studio album by Renée Geyer

Swing is the fifteenth studio album by Australian soul and R&B singer Renée Geyer. Geyer told The Sydney Morning Herald that Swing was inspired by Frank Sinatra's 1966 recording with Count Basie in Las Vegas, an album she had long admired. But it took the success of Michael Buble to convince her that she should lend her distinctive voice to a big-band album.

<i>I Love Everybody</i> (Johnny Hartman album) 1967 studio album by Johnny Hartman

I Love Everybody is a studio album by American jazz vocalist Johnny Hartman, released in 1967 by ABC Records. It was produced by Bob Thiele and features arrangements and conducting by Jack Pleis and Oliver Nelson.

<i>And I Thought About You</i> (Johnny Hartman album) 1959 studio album by Johnny Hartman

And I Thought About You is a studio album by American jazz singer Johnny Hartman, released in 1959 by Roost Records. Teddy Reig, owner of Roost, served as producer, and Rudy Traylor did the arrangements. It was the only album Hartman managed to record between December 1956 and his session with John Coltrane in March 1963.

<i>Ive Been There</i> 1973 studio album by Johnny Hartman

I've Been There is a studio album by American singer Johnny Hartman, released in 1973 by Perception Records. It was produced by Boo Frazier, and arranged and conducted by Tony Monte. Similar to his previous album – Today (1972) – Hartman includes several popular tunes by contemporary songwriters such as Paul Simon, Kris Kristofferson, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Jazz musician Jimmy Heath is among the musicians on the album, performing on tenor saxophone and flute.

<i>This Ones for Tedi</i> 1985 studio album by Johnny Hartman

This One's for Tedi is a studio album by American jazz vocalist Johnny Hartman, released in 1985 by Audiophile Records. It was his final studio recording, made in August 1980, three years before his death. The album is dedicated to Hartman's wife Theodora (Tedi). According to producer George H. Buck Jr., This One's for Tedi "was the first digital recording to be made in Canada."

<i>The New Wave in Jazz</i> 1965 live album by Various

The New Wave in Jazz is a live album recorded on March 28, 1965 at the Village Gate in New York City. It features groups led by major avant-garde jazz artists performing at a concert for the benefit of The Black Arts Repertory Theater/School founded by Amiri Baraka, then known as LeRoi Jones. The album was released on LP in 1965 on the Impulse! label, and was reissued on CD in 1994 with a different track listing.

References

  1. 1 2 Akkerman, Gregg (2012). The Last Balladeer: The Johnny Hartman Story. Studies in Jazz, No. 68. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. pp. 306–308. ISBN   9780810882812.
  2. 1 2 Ankeny, Jason. Unforgettable Songs by Johnny Hartman at AllMusic
  3. ↑ Swenson, John, ed. (1999). "Johnny Hartman". The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide . New York: Random House. ISBN   9780679768739.
  4. 1 2 "Record Review: Johnny Hartman: Unforgettable". DownBeat . Vol. 33. Chicago: Maher Publications. September 22, 1966. p. 36.
  5. ↑ Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2004). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD . The Penguin Guide to Jazz (7th ed.). London: Penguin. ISBN   9780141014166.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Zac. "Unforgettable – Johnny Hartman". AllMusic . Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  7. ↑ Friedwald, Will (2012). "Johnny Hartman". A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. New York: Pantheon Books. p. 206. ISBN   9780375421495.
  8. ↑ Lees, Gene (October 1966). "Entertainment" (PDF). Stereo Review. Chicago: Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.