Johnny Hartman with John Coltrane

Yes the JH/JC remaster along with being some of the most beautiful music is also one of the very best recordings of male voice and sax. They are miked/mixed perfectly where I can close my eyes and truly believe they are in the room. Especialy track 3. I also love the Armstrong with Duke Ellington recommended by CMO. Make sure you get the newly remastered complete recordings session. The sound is incredible. Check out the track " I got it bad and that ain't good" and listen to the trumpet intro where you can hear the fingering as well as his breath. Awesome. If you like Miles the remasterd " Relax'n" is both beautiful and of audiophile quality. Miles trumpet is perfect. Coletrane is recorded/mixed a little too "hot' but still darn good. Love this stuff - Jim

I'm in the distinct minority on this one, but I believe that almost any of the Coltrane records from this time or later are 'better'--more musically rewarding--than the Hartman album. Meditations, for example.

Trasando
The Classic Quartet had a groove that many folks myslef felt was the peak.Once Pharoah Sander entered in on Meditations things just got more and more out.You have to wonder what Coltrane was thinking that he who was a grerat innovator in the line from Coleman Hawkins to Sonny Rollins and to Colatrane who started his career relatively late as a leader had such an impact as an inovator from his Miles perios to Giant Steps "SDheets Of Sound" why would he follow Albert Ayler or Shepp into the new thing?Less satisfying musically he fllowed and din't lead for the last four years of his life fater '64.But if you want to hear some stuff that will blow your mind check out the live recordings availible on small lables like Blue Parrot of his live stuff in Europe and Japan in 64-65.He kjept the standard repetory but started to extend the songs out to up to 20 minutes and it is much heavier than what what he had done previously,still with Tyner,Garrison ,and Jones but much more fre and harder edge.But Lp's like The Major Works of John Coltrane-it's just to out.For me.I like some of the "New Thing" but insmall dosees.But hey what if he had lived.Just listen to the beaautifull Lp's that Sanders made recently like "Journey To The One" or Shepp's beatific Ballad Lp/CD's on Venus (the best recodings I have ever heard on 24 bit machines that wehn played back on CD players blow 95% of all CD's away".Or Marion Brown "Offering".These guys could now be said to have become neo conservative or full circle.I think that Coltrane may have done amzingly beautifull things but like with Hendrix we can only wonder.
C

The Johnny Hartman with John Coltrane album is available on redbook CD (mono) and SACD (mono + (artificial ?) stereo).
Does the SACD offer better sound quality (supposing you have a cd-player which can handle both formats) ?

"12-06-06: Chazzbo
Yes the classic of classic where the rich coffee Hartman met up with Tranes "Classic Quartet" who played more beatiffully and "in the pocket"(something which some crtics thought Coltarne could not do) than even their legendary "Ballds" LP.A defineite classic!"

Agreed, yes Cazzbo- you are da man.

A few addl thoughts:

From the very nicely crafted book written by Ashley Kahn - The House That Trane Built:
"both Ballads and even (sic) John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman came about because of the jazz critics. "We decided to straighten these guys out once and for all by showing them that John was as great and complete a jazz artist as we already knew, and it was one of the few times that he accepted a producer's concept."

BTW - my rec's for female vocalese would be #1 - Sarah Vaughn/Sarah Vaughn on Verve w/ Clifford Brown.

I listen to this far more than I do Coltrane/Hartman; and I listen to Coltrane at least 6 hours/week - have for 25 years.

Bestest,
Jeff