Johnny Hartman - Complete Regent Recordings (Bonus Version)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 73:12

Size: 167.6 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz, Standards

Year: 2015

Art: Front

[2:36] 1. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

[2:34] 2. Why Was I Born

[2:32] 3. Just You, Just Me

[2:39] 4. A Woman Always Understands

[2:37] 5. Sometime Remind Me To Tell You

[3:02] 6. There Goes My Heart

[2:40] 7. Just A Wearyin' For You

[2:49] 8. I'll Never Smile Again

[2:55] 9. Tormented (Why Must I Be)

[3:04] 10. What's To Become Of Me

[2:57] 11. I Should Care

[2:39] 12. That Old Black Magic

[3:43] 13. If Love Is Trouble

[2:29] 14. Close Your Eyes

[2:39] 15. S'posin'

[2:25] 16. Goodbye

[3:10] 17. September In The Rain

[2:43] 18. Remember

[2:57] 19. Out Of The Night

[2:37] 20. Worry Bird

[2:27] 21. Wheel Of Fortune

[2:35] 22. Wild

[2:59] 23. Black Shadows

[2:57] 24. I Feel Like Crying

[3:50] 25. Stella By Starlight

[2:29] 26. Somebody Loves Me

The release of this retrospective of songs recorded for Regent by jazz vocalist Johnny Hartman probably owes a lot to Clint Eastwood's film The Bridges of Madison County. Hartman's smooth voice is heard throughout the soundtrack, and many listeners became latter-day fans of this popular singer from the 1950s and '60s. Hartman is best known for his work with jazz giant John Coltrane on their classic CD on Impulse: John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, recorded in 1963. But Hartman recorded with many other great jazz luminaries of his day, and much of that work appears on this compilation. The CD features Hartman crooning with an astonishing array of musicians: Dizzie Gillespie, Prez Prado, Budd Johnson, Errol Garner,Cozy Cole, Jimmy Nottingham, Tony Farina, and Bobby Tucker, to name a few. The CD includes material recorded in 1947 through 1954, plus some bonus tracks recorded live in 1961 with the Andrew Hill Trio. Hartman, a master at interpreting the inner life of a ballad, comes through soft and clear on standards such as "That Old Black Magic," "I Let a Song Go out of My Heart," "I'll Never Smile Again," "Just You, Just Me," "September in the Rain," "Stella by Starlight," and "Somebody Loves Me." The amorous and sophisticated tone of the entire set is polished off with the final selection, "Misty," which expresses how the listener might feel after hearing so many songs of romance and seduction. ~Sharon Witmer

Complete Regent Recordings  

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Johnny Hartman - Today + I've Been There

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:00
Size: 179,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
(4:27)  2. Didn't We
(4:27)  3. Games People Play
(4:12)  4. Betcha By Golly Wow
(3:21)  5. Summer Wind
(4:04)  6. Help Me Make It Through The Night
(5:44)  7. Folks Who Live On The Hill
(5:07)  8. We've Only Just Begun
(4:43)  9. I've Got To Be Me
(2:08) 10. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
(4:49) 11. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(3:34) 12. If
(3:56) 13. Rainy Days And Mondays
(3:38) 14. You Go To My Head
(4:16) 15. Meditation
(3:56) 16. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(3:51) 17. Sunday Sun
(4:07) 18. For The Good Times
(2:32) 19. Easy Come, Easy Go

Today and I've Been There were both ill-advised attempts at bringing Johnny Hartman into the pop mainstream in the early '70s. Previously, Hartman's rich voice sounded as if was capable of anything, but these records prove that wasn't the case. Recorded for the Perception label, these two albums find Hartman running through such '70s pop and soul standards as "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Games People Play," "Betcha By Golly Wow," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "We've Only Just Begun," "59th Street Bridge Song," "If," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "For the Good Times." Although he sounds fine, he doesn't sound comfortable and the slick musical backdrops aren't well-suited for the hushed intimacy of his voice. Occasionaly, as on the lush treatment of "Summer Wind," everything falls together and the music achieves the high standards of Hartman, but for the most part this single-disc pairing of Today and I've Been There is certainly sub-par. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/today-ive-been-there-mw0000031664

Personnel: Vocal - Johnny Hartman; Arranged By – Tony Monte (2);  Bass – Earl May (tracks: 10-19); Drums – Don Reid (tracks: 10-19); Flute – Jimmy Heath (tracks: 10-19); Guitar – Al Gaffa (tracks: 10-19), Bob Rose (tracks: 10-19);  Keyboards – Ken Ascher (tracks: 10-19);  Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath (tracks: 10-19)

I've Been There

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Johnny Hartman - Songs From The Heart (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:56
Size: 82.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:49] 1. What Is There To Say
[2:48] 2. Ain't Misbehavin
[2:24] 3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[3:00] 4. We'll Be Together Again
[2:57] 5. Down In The Depths
[2:34] 6. They Didn't Believe Me
[2:31] 7. I'm Glad There Is You
[3:09] 8. When Your Lover Has Gone
[3:09] 9. I'll Remember April
[3:32] 10. I See Your Face Before Me
[3:51] 11. September Song
[3:06] 12. Moonlight In Vermont

"This is Hartman's first album as a leader and it's a puzzle why he did not receive wider acclaim. If you listen to the sound samples on the MP3 version's page at Songs From The Heart you will hear not only his rich voice, but soulful ability to convey the meanings of each song. That's a rare gift and the sound samples clearly show he had it.

Not all tracks fit a coherent romantic theme (Ain't Misbehavin' is an example of one that does not), but all come across as romantic. Perhaps it's the sensual quality of Hartman's voice. For me Howard McGhee's trumpet added the perfect backing for Hartman's voice, and the rhythm section comprised of Ralph Sharon on piano, Jay Cave on bass and Christy Febbo on drums support Hartman (and McGhee) with sensitivity.

This album was recorded for Bethlehem at the Beltone Studios in NYC during October 1955. The original release in 1956 contained twelve tracks, so this CD version is definitely a gem for fans and collectors who want to hear the complete sessions, including the previously unissued alternate takes." ~Mike Tarrani/Amazon

Songs From The Heart (Remastered) mc
Songs From The Heart (Remastered) zippy

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Johnny Hartman - Today

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:52
Size: 84,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:08)  1. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
(4:49)  2. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(3:34)  3. If
(3:56)  4. Rainy Days And Mondays
(3:38)  5. You Go To My Head
(4:16)  6. Meditation
(3:56)  7. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(3:51)  8. Sunday Sun
(4:07)  9. For The Good Times
(2:32) 10. Easy Come, Easy Go

Today, Johnny Hartman's first record for Perception, was a new beginning of sorts. It just wasn't a very good beginning. Hartman decided to ease his way into the popular mainstream with Today, recording such recent pop hits "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Games People Play," "Betcha By Golly Wow," "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and "We've Only Just Begun." Each of these songs are terrific pop singles, but with the exceptions of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Help Me Make It Through the Night," they're identified by their performers as much as the songs themselves, and none of them lend themselves to the kind of hushed, sympathetic treatment Hartman has been known to give. Furthermore, the sound of the record is too slick for Hartman, which gives the record an uneasy easy listening sound. There are moments on Today that work, such as the lovely "Summer Wind," but by and large this is a missed opportunity. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/today-mw0000890183

Personnel:  Bass – Earl May;  Drums – Billy Higgens;  Guitar – Roland Prince;  Piano – Herman Foster;  Saxophone – George Coleman;  Vocals – Johnny Hartman

Today

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Johnny Hartman - Thank You For Everything

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:43
Size: 134.4 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1978/1998
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. I'm Glad There Is You
[1:47] 2. What Is This Thing Called Love
[3:34] 3. The Morning After
[2:49] 4. I Concentrate On You
[4:38] 5. Take The A Train
[3:26] 6. Miss Otis Regrets
[2:48] 7. Thank You For Everything (Lotus Blossom)
[3:01] 8. Anything Goes
[4:04] 9. Lush Life
[1:43] 10. You Better Know It
[2:40] 11. Easy To Love
[1:56] 12. Warm Valley
[2:02] 13. Warm Valley (Alternate)
[1:51] 14. Just One Of Those Things
[3:19] 15. My Little Brown Book
[3:00] 16. Let's Do It
[2:47] 17. While We're Young
[3:36] 18. I've Got You Under My Skin
[2:57] 19. Satin Doll
[3:42] 20. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

In 1978, Johnny Hartman was featured twice on Alec Wilder's legendary radio series. This 1998 CD has all of the music from those dates (released commercially for the first time) with Hartman being tastefully accompanied by pianist Loonis McGlohon, bassist Terry Lassiter and drummer James Lackey. Fifty-five at the time, Hartman was still in prime form, as he shows throughout the lengthy set of ballads. All of the songs are standards, although a couple (such as "The Morning After" and the Ellington/Strayhorn number, "You Better Know It") are lesser-known. The title cut is actually a vocalized version of Strayhorn's "Lotus Blossom." Other highlights include "I'm Glad There Is You," "Easy to Love," two versions of "Warm Valley" and a remake of "Lush Life." ~Scott Yanow

Thank You For Everything

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Various Artists - When Love Goes Wrong: Songs for the Broken-Hearted

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:26
Size: 118,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. Billie Holiday - Good Morning Heartache
(2:26)  2. Chet Baker - Born to Be Blue
(3:36)  3. Johnny Hartman - It Never Entered My Mind
(3:11) 4. Little Jimmy Scott - Everybody's Somebody's Fool
(3:15)  5. Peggy Lee - Woman Alone With the Blues
(3:30)  6. Beverly Kenney - A Woman's Intuition
(3:42)  7. Frank D'Rone - Everything Happens to Me
(5:38)  8. Shirley Horn - I Fall in Love Too Easily
(2:40)  9. Helen Merrill - Here's That Rainy Day
(3:40) 10. Arthur Prysock - I'm Through with Love
(2:40) 11. Dinah Washington - I'm a Fool to Want You
(2:41) 12. Billy Eckstine - What Will I Tell My Heart?
(3:25) 13. Sarah Vaughan - But Not for Me
(2:14) 14. Ella Fitzgerald - Reaching for the Moon
(5:13) 15. Mel Tormé - Gloomy Sunday

Bill Maher (as in Politically Incorrect) once stated that marriage is a lot like communism--it sounds great on paper, but in reality, it doesn't work. That's a very cynical view of romance; some marriages do work, and they work well. But at the same, one can certainly understand where Maher is coming from half of American marriages, after all, end in divorce, and many couples never even make it to the alter. Those unsuccessful relationships are the focus of When Love Goes Wrong: Songs for the Broken-Hearted, a thoughtfully assembled collection of vocal jazz and torch singing that spans 1950-1997. 

The front cover boasts an illustration that recalls the classic film noir and pulp fiction of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s an attractive blonde who just blew away her lover is led away in handcuffs, while a hat-wearing hard-boiled detective (à la Dana Andrews' character in Laura) nonchalantly puffs away on a cigarette. It's the perfect cover for a compilation that paints a dark, troubled picture of romance thanks to melancholy performances by heavyweights like Dinah Washington on "I'm a Fool to Want You," Chet Baker on "Born to Be Blue" and Jimmy Scott on "Everybody's Somebody's Fool". Shirley Horn's soulful version of "I Fall in Love Too Easily" is from 1997, although the rest of the selections are from the ‘50s and ‘60s. If one wanted to nit-pick, it would be easy to complain about the fact that Verve doesn't include any versions of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" (one of the darkest jazz pearls ever written). 

Also, Verve should have provided Billie Holiday's original 1946 recording of "Good Morning Heartache" instead of the 1956 version that opens this CD Lady Day sounded a lot better in 1946. Nonetheless, this generally rewarding, if imperfect, compilation is enthusiastically recommended to anyone who craves expressive, heartfelt torch singing. ~ Alex Henderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/when-love-goes-wrong-songs-for-the-broken-hearted-mw0000663806

When Love Goes Wrong: Songs for the Broken-Hearted

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Johnny Hartman - And I Thought About You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:02
Size: 75.7 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1959/1997
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. Mam'selle
[2:51] 2. To Each His Own
[2:15] 3. Sunday
[2:23] 4. Alone
[2:47] 5. Long Ago (And Far Away)
[3:11] 6. I Should Care
[2:59] 7. Little Girl Blue
[2:51] 8. But Beautiful
[2:05] 9. After You've Gone
[3:20] 10. There's A Lull In My Life
[2:42] 11. How Long Has This Been Going On
[3:10] 12. I Thought About You

Johnny Hartman gained posthumous fame as one of the warmest ballad singers of this century, and his deep baritone voice is well showcased on this 1958 date, which emphasizes slower tempos with a couple of exceptions ("Sunday" and "After You've Gone"). Accompanied by a subtle orchestra arranged by Rudy Traylor (the personnel is unknown), Hartman is in such fine form that it seems sad that this obscure effort was his only studio date of the 1957-62 period. Highlights of the brief (33-minute) set include "To Each His Own," "Little Girl Blue" and "There's a Lull In My Life." ~Scott Yanow

And I Thought About You

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Johnny Hartman - For Trane

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:21
Size: 124,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:11)  1. My Favorite Things
(4:59)  2. Violets For Your Furs
(3:27)  3. Nature Boy
(7:07)  4. Summertime
(3:25)  5. Why Did I Choose You
(6:54)  6. The Nearness Of You
(4:09)  7. I'm Glad There Is You
(3:18)  8. On Green Dolphin Street
(7:30)  9. My Funny Valentine
(4:01) 10. Sometimes I'm Happy
(5:15) 11. S' posin'

This CD combines together parts of two sessions recorded in Tokyo by the warm ballad singer Johnny Hartman. Although titled For Trane, the vocal recital only has three songs associated with John Coltrane ("My Favorite Things," "Violets for Your Furs," and "Nature Boy") and the majority of the selections are actually taken from an unrelated session in which Hartman was matched with trumpeter Terumasa Hino. The music alternates between ballads ("Violets for Your Furs" and "The Nearness of You" are high points) and swingers and, although Hartman does not really improvise, his voice (still in its prime at the time) is appealing. Considering his slim discography, Johnny Hartman's fans will definitely want this one. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/for-trane-mw0000645815

Personnel: Johnny Hartman (vocals); Terumasa Hino (trumpet); Masahiko Kikuchi, Mikio Masuda (piano); Yoshio Suzuki, Yoshio Ikeda (bass); Hiroshi Murakami, Motohiko Hino (drums).

For Trane

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Johnny Hartman - The Voice That Is!

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 36:17

Size: 83.1 MB

Styles: Standards, Jazz vocals

Year: 1965/1994/2012

Art: Front

[3:07] 1. My Ship

[2:27] 2. The More I See You

[4:16] 3. These Foolish Things

[3:27] 4. Waltz For Debby

[3:36] 5. It Never Entered My Mind

[2:27] 6. The Day The World Stopped Turning

[3:20] 7. A Slow Hot Wind

[4:08] 8. Funny World

[4:47] 9. Joey, Joey, Joey

[1:46] 10. Let Me Love You

[2:50] 11. Sunrise, Sunset

Ballad singer Johnny Hartman's third and final Impulse session is not quite on the same level as the first two. Although the earlier of the two sessions has several near-classic performances (including "My Ship," "Waltz for Debby," and "It Never Entered My Mind"), the second date has weaker material, primarily several songs from movies or shows, including "Sunrise, Sunset." Hartman is in fine form whether backed by the Hank Jones quartet or accompanied by an octet arranged by pianist Bob Hammer, but this set is not as essential as his earlier meetings with John Coltrane and Illinois Jacquet. ~Scott Yanow

The Voice That Is!

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