About

Drawn from two September 1964 sessions at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio with producer Bob Thiele, The Voice That Is! features vocalist Johnny Hartman in his third and final album for Impulse! following a celebrated collaboration with John Coltrane. The album blends two sessions arranged by Bob Hammer: one pairing Hartman with pianist Hank Jones, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Osie Johnson, and another for octet, with English horn, flute, marimba and Latin percussion flourishes throughout. The repertoire includes standards like “These Foolish Things” and “It Never Entered My Mind” alongside contemporary material such as Bill Evans’ “Waltz for Debby,” “Sunrise, Sunset” from Fiddler on the Roof, and an early vocal interpretation of Henry Mancini’s “A Slow Hot Wind.” The album highlights Hartman’s warm baritone and understated phrasing against the sophisticated jazz sound associated with Impulse!’s mid-1960s catalog.

Verve Acoustic Sounds Series titles are mastered from the original analog tapes by Matthew Lutthans, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP) and packaged in high-quality tip-on gatefold jackets. — (via Label)

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Ballad singer Johnny Hartman's third and final Impulse session is not quite on the same level as the first two. Although the earlier of the two sessions has several near-classic performances (including "My Ship," "Waltz for Debby," and "It Never Entered My Mind"), the second date has weaker material, primarily several songs from movies or shows, including "Sunrise, Sunset." Hartman is in fine form whether backed by the Hank Jones quartet or accompanied by an octet arranged by pianist Bob Hammer, but this set is not as essential as his earlier meetings with John Coltrane and Illinois Jacquet. — (via AllMusic)

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The lush baritone voice of Johnny Hartman enriched many big bands in the Forties and Fifties including Dizzy Gillespie's and Erol Garner's. But in the sixties he recorded many fine albums as leader and with all-star small groups. Although not as popular as some of his other releases, "The Voice That Is" is an exceptional showcase of his beautiful talent.

Hartman is clearly the central figure in this recording. He doesn't share the limelight with many soloists as on his other jazz-oriented albums of the same period. The backing music is wonderfully arranged by Bob Hammer in total support of his singing. "My Ship" starts with just guitar whose high voicing beautifully augments Hartman's deep voice. A good part of the bluesy "The More I See You" has Hartman in a duet with the bass. Several songs have a latin feel employing, by degrees: an acoustic guitar, marimba, latin percussion (including castanets) and an oboe, such as on "The Day the World Stopped Turning" and "Joey, Joey, Joey." Others have a standard quartet backing with guitar, bass, drums and great sensitive piano work by Hank Jones.

Hartman has a deeply resonant and clear voice. He very carefully articulates the lyrics giving life to the words he is singing. His forte is the ballad. On "My Ship" he wonderfully creates the dreamy and yearning quality of the song. His terse attack and slow release also wonderfully describes a passionate glance on "A Slow Hot Wind." He also changes to an effective blues style for "The More I See You." Hartman far exceeds the most important goal for a vocalist, to have a moving effect on the listener. — (via All About Jazz)

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Label: Verve / Impulse!
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo
Reissued: 2026 / Originally Released: 1964
Genre: Jazz
Style: Hard Bop, Bossa Nova

File under: Jazz - Vocals (Audiophile)
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