Johnny Hartman

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Johnny Hartman was the quintessential romantic balladeer. The only singer to record with John Coltrane, Hartman was mostly known only to true jazz lovers during his lifetime. It took a movie soundtrack — released 12 years after his death — that took Hartman to the top of the jazz charts.

Actor, producer and director Clint Eastwood chose several of Hartman’s recordings for the dreamy romantic scenes in his film The Bridges of Madison County and its sequel, Remembering Madison County (existence of the sequel is disputed). The movies were about a brief love affair between an aging photographer and a Midwestern housewife.

Hartman was a master of emotional expression, putting everything he had into every word he sang. With any other vocalist, performing a love song with this kind of intensity could easily come across as being over the top or gushing, but Hartman’s rich, masculine baritone voice never wavered in its sincerity.

Born John Maurice Hartman on July 23, 1923 in Chicago, Johnny grew up singing in church choirs and the high school glee club before receiving a scholarship to study voice at the Chicago Musical College. After a tour of duty in the Army during World War II, he won a singing contest conducted by pianist and bandleader Earl “Fatha” Hines. Hartman later joined Hines’ band.

Hines’ group disbanded a year later, but trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie soon recruited Hartman for his big band. The singer’s cool, understated voice was a dramatic contrast to Dizzy’s rapid-fire bebop style.

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jazz, jazz vocal, male vocalists, vocal jazz, crooner
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I Just Dropped By to Say Hello
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Unforgettable
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The Voice That Is!
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Songs From The Heart
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Top Tracks

1	In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning full track	76
2	My Favorite Things	63
3	Unforgettable full track	62
4	Charade full track	56
5	How Sweet It Is to Be in Love full track	46
6	If I'm Lucky full track	42
7	I Just Dropped By To Say Hello full track	38
8	Stairway To The Stars full track	35
9	Nature Boy	30
10	These Foolish Things full track	27
11	Our Time full track	23
12	A Slow Hot Wind full track	22
13	I See Your Face Before Me	20
13	Sleepin' Bee full track	20
15	I'm Glad There Is You	18

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credere wrote:
August 2009

Simply the greatest jazz vocalist.

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F_Hole wrote:
August 2009

I've loved his singing ever since I first laid ears upon it. They say Dean Martin "borrowed" his slightly boozy inflection (and way overdid it). Makes me sad to read that he never got the recognition or the remuneration.

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juju_calhau wrote:
October 2008

i fell in love with him when i watched the bridges of madison county. is all over the soundtrack. great film and great voice.

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Purayah wrote:
March 2008

Great Voice =)

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anti-cool wrote:
January 2008

one of the most beautiful voices i've ever heard.

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Splurgercloud wrote:
November 2007

The only singer to every record with John Coltrane- If that doesn't spell out how great he is, I don't know what can.

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2Serenity wrote:
August 2007

Wow!

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Vivnsect wrote:
August 2007

That voice. That voice.

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Anyadora wrote:
July 2007

Who loves Johnny might like my new little private club called »Fine Jazz«? It's a personal jazz selection for everyone who doesn't like every jazz. Just the fine and mellow one. Please join the group here: http://www.lastfm.de/group/Fine+Jazz ...

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Anyadora wrote:
July 2007

My all time favorite voice!

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Similans wrote:
December 2006

What a voice!

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