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.
