Just after recording with John Coltrane in 1963, baritone singer Johnny
Hartman (1923-1983) told a family member that "something special"
occurred in the studio that day. He was right - the album, containing
definitive readings of "Lush Life" and "My One and Only Love," resides
firmly in the realm of iconic; forever enveloping listeners in the
sounds of romance. In The Last Balladeer, author Gregg Akkerman
skillfully reveals not only the intimate details of that album but the
life-long achievements and occasional missteps of Hartman as an
African-American artist dedicated to his craft. This book carefully
follows the journey of the Grammy-nominated vocalist from his big band
origins with Earl Hines and Dizzy Gillespie to featured soloist in
prestigious supper clubs throughout the world. Through exclusive
interviews with Hartman's family and fellow musicians (including Tony
Bennett, Billy Taylor, Kurt Elling, Jon Hendricks, and others), accounts
from friends and associates, newly discovered recordings and studio
outtakes, and in-depth research on his career and personal life,
Akkerman expertly recollects the Hartman character as a gentleman,
romantic, family man, and constant contributor to the jazz scene. From
his international concerts in Japan, Australia, and England to his
steady presence as an American nightclub singer that spanned five
decades, Hartman personifies the "last balladeer" of his kind, singing
with a sentiment that captured the attention of Clint Eastwood, who
brought Hartman's songs to the masses in the film The Bridges of Madison
County. In the first full-length biography and discography to chronicle
the rhapsodic life and music of Johnny Hartman, the author completes a
previously missing dimension of vocal-jazz history by documenting
Hartman as the balladeer who crooned his way into so many hearts. Backed
by impeccable research but conveyed in a conversational style, this book
will interest not only musicians and scholars but any fan of the Great
American Songbook and the singers who brought it to life.
