Johnny Hartman – the one and only.

Johnny Hartman in concert – recorded at Avery Fisher Hall in New York on July 1, 1975.

July 3rd, Johnny Hartman would have turned 103 – sadly, he left us at 60, but he also left us with a rich legacy of a vocal art that rivals the best of his generation. Johnny Hartman wasn’t the household name many of his contemporaries were – that was until he collaborated with John Coltrane on what would be one of the defining albums of the modern Jazz era.

Fans quickly discovered this rich baritone voice, with phrasing, the perfect compliment to John Coltrane was an undiscovered gem, hiding in plain sight. He’d been around for a while – working his way through several big bands as a support vocalist – it was John Coltrane who heard him at a club date which caught his attention and the subsequent milestone recording sessions that came with it.

Although he never caught on as a mainstream vocalist, in the manner of what contemporary Billy Eckstine was able to do during his particular association with MGM records, Hartman nonetheless became a staple in the diets of most hardcore Jazz aficionados – and his albums for Savoy, Bethlehem and ABC (Impulse as well as ABC-Paramount) were go-to choices for smooth, sonorous ballads – and later, much sought-after classics of the genre.

But as Rock came into play and musical tastes started changing, Johnny Hartman’s popularity slipped, though he still kept up a heavy schedule of performing up to just prior to his death in 1983. It wasn’t until 1995, when four of his songs were chosen by Clint Eastwood for his feature Bridges Of Madison County that interest and popularity returned.

This concert, which I believe Johnny Hartman was opening for Miles Davis, since they are both listed as appearing at Avery Fisher Hall on that date, shows a matured Hartman, but one whose energy, spirit and intonation were undiminished and his message was loud and clear.

So, if you aren’t already familiar, take a half hour and dive into this concert – you’ll get a very good idea what the excitement was all about – and lucky for you, just about everything he recorded has been issued and is still available – click here: Johnny Hartman on Amazon

In the meantime, sit back and relax.