John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman is a 1963 studio album featuring John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Though Coltrane and 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), Hartman is the only vocalist with whom the great saxophonist would record as a leader. Initially when producer Bob Th... more

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman is a 1963 studio album featuring John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Though Coltrane and 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), Hartman is the only vocalist with whom the great saxophonist would record as a leader. 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. 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 McCoy Tyner, went over some songs together. On March 7, 1963 Coltrane and Hartman had decided on 10 songs for the record album... less