My favorite classic jazz album of all time is "John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman", made in 1963 when I was only four years old. 
The signature tune on this album is the definitive recording of "Lush Life", a bittersweet song about failed romance. Coltrane did an instrumental of it, and Nat King Cole recorded it too, but Johnny Hartman's interpretation of it on this album is just amazing. He has the most gorgeous voice, and he wrings everything from this song; you just revel in the sound of it. I'm not one for jazz ballads in general and vocal ballads in particular, but this is a significant exception.
I first heard Lush Life around 1989, in the early morning. I was going to a bike rally out of town, so the alarm was set to wake me up early. It was early enough that the local public radio station was playing overnight jazz, and the radio came on in the middle of Coltrane's solo. The realization that this was something special quickly woke me up, and when Johnny came back it, I was fully awake and paying attention with both ears. What is this, I was thinking.
Like I first heard it, the song is best appreciated in a dark room. Use a nice audio system and Johnny's lovely voice will flow over you. Listen to the lyrics, and listen to the unusual last note Johnny sings.
Remarkable facts behind this album:
- The song Lush Life was composed by Duke Ellington's legendary composer and arranger Billy Strayhorn. He composed the lyrics to this world-weary song when he was only 16.
- Hartman had never heard the song until he and Coltrane were en route to the studio and heard Nat King Cole sing it on the radio. Hartman immediately decided that song had to be included in their album. It was made that same day in one take!
I just looked out on Amazon where you can play and download the tunes, and 123 reviewers give it 5 stars, 9 give it 4, and only 2 anything less. Even on little notebook speakers you can hear how special Hartman's voice is.
No comments:
Post a Comment