I
s Johnny Mathis really 80 years old? I just saw him a bit over a year ago with Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, and he sounded incredible. This past year we’ve seen a reissue of his Complete Global Albums collection, which was a treasure chest of music form an overlooked period of Mathis’ career. Here, Columbia/Legacy puts together 4 disc of his singles, starting back from the stellar 1956 hit “Wonderful, Wonderful” and including his hits up to 1981 as well as some great Christmas pieces. His teaming with Gladys Knight and the Pips for “The Lords Prayer” and “When a Child is Born” are wondrous, and of course no one could do a love ballad like Mathis as on classics such as “Chances Are” and “It’s Not For Me to Say.”
For some strange reason, the perennial favorite “Misty” is not included here. That’s a head scratcher, almost making you want to purchase a single “Greatest Hits” disc if you simply want the most popular Mathis. Nevertheless, if you have that song somewhere else, then the obscurities and bonus tracks will make this essential for completists.
Columbia/Legacy Records
www.legacy.com