An excellent batch of rare material by vocalist
Johnny
Hartman, and a very strong set of tracks that shows a side of his work that's often ignored! Usually,
Hartman gets cited for his slow, moody, syrupy sound – such as that which he used in his classic recordings with
Coltrane. However, we really dig the side that's exposed on this CD – the shorter, livelier, more uptempo jazz numbers, done with a swing that you don't normally get with
Johnny, and proof that he really was a tremendously versatile singer. There's 17 cuts on here, culled from 2 rare albums on ABC, and they show
Hartman in a completely new light. Titles include "Fools Rush In", "Down In The Depths", "Bidin' My Time", "The More I See You", "Once In A While", "That Old Black Magic", and a very groovy version of "Girl Talk", with an excellent monologue by
Johnny!