Customer Reviews

I Just Dropped By to Say Hello

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was listening to the Carly Simon cover of Wee Small Hours and I said " I bet this person has never heard Johnny Hartman's version of this because they would've never tried it." I am not a comparer but this is easily one of the gems of vocal performance. Yes, Frank is god, yadda yadda yadda, go to Vegas and have a drink for me, but this guy is the full bill of goods.
I would love to use this in a film version Of Catcher in The Rye, because there is such a wonderful atmosphere about this.
The cd as a whole is a little loungier(he covers charade, for god's sake) and purists jonesing for the Hartman Coltrane should just listen to that again....but it is still a great jazz record. Some of the arrangements are amazing. A couple of times the rhythm section drops out, leaving Johnny with one instrument. These moments are simplicity itself, but heartstoppingly gorgeous.
And hartman is a master. Pure and simple

oh, and the cover is why I bought the album...so evocative of a certain period.
check it out

This was the first Johnny Hartman album I purchased and my all time favorite. Even my family, who doesn't really enjoy my taste in music, thoroughly enjoys this treasure.

The song How Sweet It Is To Be In Love has to be the greatest song for a wedding there ever was. I plan on playing this at my wedding, if I ever get married.

The Don't Call It Love song is one of my teenage son's favorite tunes. It is funny and witty without being rude or mean.

Stairway to the Stars is a beautiful song that will make you melt. I love to play it on rainy days.

If I'm Lucky is also a great song for weddings. I love to play this song and reminisce about how truly lucky I am to have such beautiful kids and a great partner.

To make a long review shorter, get this album you will be glad you did it makes you appreciate what you have.

I can't say enough about how great this collection is.

johnny hartman sings for a room lit only by a few candles. his baritone hovers over the air, draping all in a warm blanket. his choice of songs convey the feelings and the thoughts that complete the scene. hank jones adds just a sparkle, brother elvin keeps the time relaxed. mr. hartman is subtly echoed by jim hall and kenny burrell gracefully playing their guitars. by the time's its all over, there are only eyes for one another. if that sounds like the evening you need, this is the place to set the mood. it's not noted in the insipid liner notes, but this album certainly complements hartman's other '63 release on impulse-- johnny hartman and john coltrane; for romanticism and balladry. a very fine album.

In contrast to one of the other reviews, the cover, to me, says it all. This is a very cool album. The album is worth every cent for just one song "In the wee small hours". I honestly thought that the man was preaching to me. The only reason to not give it 5 stars is because 5 is reserved for the Coletrane collaboration and Song's from the Heart.

Johnny Hartman possessed a rich baritone in the Billy Eckstine tradition. Here his delivery is flawless, the accompaniment is near perfect. Burrell and Hall glide, Hank Jones is steady and Jacquet is both gruff and mellow at the same time. Elvin Jones takes a break from the emotional turmoil that usually comes with a Coltrane session and produces drumming of great subtlety. Hartman takes even the most banal song and caresses the lyrics like a loving mother holding a new born baby. If any of you guys have a woman friend, play this CD for them. If the woman doesn't like this CD, find another woman quick!!

This man had some kind of voice! If you are a fan of Frank, Nat, Mel, Tony, etc... then add this guy to that short list of greats. How this man never became as famous as the foursome mentioned above I will never know. All I do know is this - this guy had one of the most beautiful, rich, romantic voices I have ever heard. It is very difficult, if not nearly impossible to express in words how wonderful of a singer this man was. Just listen to him and see for yourself. If you loved him on the Coltrane album (another 5-star treasure) then you will love this one almost just as much (that recording still is my favorite of all-time). Johnny may not have been that popular with the masses, but his work is very highly respected and adored by everyone in the jazz world - critics, musicians, and fans alike.

He may not have Coltrane, Tyner, and Garrison backing him up on this one, however the cats he does have aren't too shabby - Illinois Jacquet (tenor sax), Milt Hinton (bass), Elvin Jones (once again on the drums), Jimmy Hall and Kenny Burrell (on guitars). Not a bad line-up to say the least! And believe me folks, Johnny and the gang all sound flawless.

This is one of those recordings that you want to dim the lights down real low, pour yourself a martini or glass of wine, sit back and reeeeeeeelax. Or better yet, grab your gal (or guy) and let the music help take the two of you to the promised land. As soon as the first song (Charade) comes on, you will see what I'm talking about. I can't get enough of this one! Also, his version of "In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning" is one of the greatest I have ever heard and may even trump Old Blue Eyes himself (which is almost sacrilege for an Italian-American like myself to say!). However, you will just have to see for yourself.

ENJOY!

I think that Johnny Hartmann is without question one of the best baritone voices ever. This album just goes towards solidifying that. "In the wee small hours" is enough to buy the album alone. This album is not the masterpiece of Hartman and Coletrane but what is? A definite for your Johnny Hartman library.

I'm not a big fan of most jazz vocalists but I LOVE Johnny Hartman! I bought this record a few days ago and I'm totally digging it. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because I've been spoiled over the last few years by the album he did with Coltrane. Don't get me wrong, Illinois Jacquet lays down some great tones on this album, but the Hartman/Coltrane album has a lot more horn woven through the entire record, and it's quite hypnotizing. HOWEVER, this album has something the Coltrane album doesn't have- GREAT guitar work! Kenny Burrell is a genius, and Jim Hall is very talented as well.

A year or so back I fell in love with the Sinatra record In the Wee Small Hours but I've gotta admit, the Johnny Hartman version of "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" eclipses Frank's version! If you're searching for something to spin on a romantic evening with that special someone, something smoother than glass, give Johnny Hartman a spin. You WON't be disappointed!

I first became aware of vocalist Johnny Hartman through his work with John Coltrane. Since then, I have purchased two of his CDs, both of which are exemplary. Hartman possesses a smooth, rich, expressive baritone. In the case of so many singers, it sounds a bit too grand to refer to their voice as their "instrument." In Hartman's case, it is simply a fact. Every track on this disc is a gem. Buy it.

CD arrived in great shape I couldnt believe I go it so quickly

Ditto. Ditto Ditto. the best service I ever got.