It's 1963 and Don Draper and his wife are hosting a dinner party for the other Mad Men. Sipping on his Old Fashioned, Don puts this album on the console turntable and lights a cigarette. John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman make an amazing combination. The album is short and sweet filled with beautiful standards from early Jazz. Hartman's deep baritone voice fit these songs perfectly. Start to finish, I thought this was a perfect album. Standouts: Lush Life, My One and Only Love, and You Are So Beautiful. I know Jazz isn't for everyone, and the music is really dated. But, if you appreciate beautiful collaborations - this is one of the best.
John Coltrane And Johnny Hartman
John Coltrane
Johnny Hartman
1963
Album Summary
This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman is a studio album by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman which was released by Impulse! Records in July or August 1963. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. Although it is often reported that Coltrane and Hartman had known each other since their days playing with Dizzy Gillespie's band in the late 1940s, their time in the band never overlapped. Coltrane might have heard Hartman sing at a 1950 Apollo Theater performance at which they shared the stage. Hartman is the only vocalist with whom the saxophonist would record as a leader. Initially when producer Bob Thiele approached Hartman with Coltrane's request that the two record together, Hartman was hesitant as he did not consider himself a jazz singer and did not think he and Coltrane would complement one another musically. However, Thiele encouraged Hartman to go see Coltrane perform at Birdland in New York City to see if they could work something out. Hartman did and after the club closed, he, Coltrane and Coltrane's pianist, McCoy Tyner, went over some songs together. On March 7, 1963, Coltrane and Hartman had decided on 10 songs for the record album, but en route to the studio they heard Nat King Cole on the radio performing "Lush Life", and Hartman immediately decided that song had to be included in their album.
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!This is probably what is playing in most peoples minds when you say jazz. It's very very jazzy and some good covers of standards, but it isn't that impressive. It's certainly good but you've probably heard something like it before. My personal rating: 4/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.
Perfect addition 5
Beautiful collaboration album of saxophone player John Coltrane and singer Johnny Hartman with definitive versions of "Lush Life" and "My One and Only Love". If you're into jazz ballads, this is the way.
Solid smooth jazz addition, a bit slow and too warbly in the vocals to stick with me but a needed bit of variety in context of the original 1001. After completing the Rolling Stone 500 list, it became clear how this project sorely lacks in major jazz contributions so I'm happy to see some more here!
I'm sorry guy, did you miss the part where John Coltrane got an album on the original list? Anyway, this just kinda went nowhere. Again, just like last time, can appreciate the skill but it does nothing for me. 2/5.
Lovely lovely… I enjoyed the music, the singing, everything. Terrific!
This is a wonderful addition to the list. John Coltrane plus the beautiful, distinctive, smooooooth voice of Johnny Hartman. Yet another one that changed my mind about jazz.
I'm no sophisticate of Jazz but I always liked Coltrane. This had an odd mix I had a little trouble with... the sax seeming to play directly into my left ear, the rest of the backing hovering somewhere over my right shoulder. It made for a melancholy workout but I liked it overall.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: The say it’s wonderful, My one and only love
Really nice.
A really nice listen. I have heard of John Coltrane before, but don't know Johnny Hartman. It isn't something I would ever listen to again (on purpose) but I appreciate good music - and there is no doubt that this is GOOD. Hard to rate but I'll give it a 3.5 of 5 only because I don't plan to relisten to it. I was really glad I got the chance to hear it once though. Thanks to the submitter.
Jazz - it’s jazz!
Beautiful jazz ballads, full of broken hearts
Weird gym music but pritty smooth
Well this was a delightful surprise. Somewhere after the trailblazing harmonic mastery of Giant Steps and the wailing avant-garde leanings of the Village Vanguard live album, and before the spiritual and conceptual tour-de-forces of A Love Supreme and Ascension, Coltrane stripped it all back for this lovely collection of jazz ballads with classic baritone singer Johnny Hartman. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Coltrane play in such a beautifully restrained way, and it’s one more feather in the cap of such a diverse and accomplished musician and bandleader
I really love Coltrane, but I just can’t get into this type of vocal jazz.
Great choice of an addition, is it as good as love supreme no, but very accessible jazz music so we can make room for it on the and my frequent rotation.
Johnny's voice is awesome, but I can't help thinking I would have liked this album better as an instrumental-only. After a couple of tracks, I began to notice patterns in his cadence and note choice that became distracting.
Jazz no instrumental. Ni fu ni fa.
A jazz legend mixed with a classic ballad singer creates a solid simple album of melodic ballads of an older time. Anything Coltrane touched was pretty amazing. I prefer his instrumental albums as it keeps it simpler but Hartman keeps it simple with classic love and hurt songs of a previous time. Pure duo musicianship here. 7.1/10
Sweet
One jazz legend? Nay, you get two.
I tend to prefer my jazz to be lyric-less or to be sung by a lady (like Eartha or Ella!). But this was lovely nonetheless.
Some improvement but not over the top. Coltrane is great on the sax while Hartman’s vocals are soothing. Overall, this is stomachable jazz.
Pretty nice
I’ve been starting to get into jazz in the last year or so. I have started with instrumental jazz and haven’t yet made the leap into jazz with vocals. Clearly this is a very good version of that music. For some strange reason it doesn’t do anything for me. I’ll keep making small forays into this world maybe one day it will click.