John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

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Though John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman had known each other since their days playing with Dizzy Gillespie's band in the late 1940s (Hartman had been with the band on an on and off basis, and Coltrane played (third) alto with the band in 1949),[1] Hartman is the only vocalist with whom the great saxophonist would record. 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 compliment one another musically.[2] However, Thiele encouraged Hartman to go see Coltrane perform at Birdland in New York to see if something could be worked out. Hartman did so, and after the club closed he, Coltrane, and Coltrane's pianist Cedar Walton, 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. The legendary compilation was made that same day at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Each song was done in only one take, except for 'You Are Too Beautiful', which required two takes because Elvin Jones dropped one of his drumsticks during the first take.[3]

The album became an instant jazz classic, and the renditions of 'Lush Life' and 'They Say Its Wonderful' are considered definitive.[4][5]


John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
Studio album by Johnny Coltrane/Johnny Hartman
Recorded March 7, 1963
Genre Jazz
Length 31:07
Label Impulse!
Producer(s) Bob Thiele
Professional reviews

All Music Guide

[edit] Track listing

Side One

  1. "They Say It's Wonderful" (Irving Berlin) – 5:15
  2. "Dedicated To You" (Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin, Hy Zaret) – 5:27
  3. "My One and Only Love" (Guy Wood, Robert Mellin) – 4:50

Side Two

  1. "Lush Life" (Billy Strayhorn) – 5:20
  2. "You Are Too Beautiful" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 5:32
  3. "Autumn Serenade" (Peter DeRose, Sammy Gallop) – 4:11

Recorded March 7, 1963

[edit] Personnel

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4555664.
  2. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9901EEDF1338F932A15756C0A964948260
  3. ^ Id.
  4. ^ http://www.fretplay.com/review/c/coltrane_john/discography-CD-B000003N7K-John-Coltrane-Johnny-Hartman.shtml
  5. ^ http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kzfwxqtgldte
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